order. An' we don't take kindly to losin' good stock!"

The boy lunged against Drew's pinioning arm. "Now he says we are horse
thieves! Tell that to us before the _Don_ Cazar!"

Shannon curled the quirt lash about his wrist. "Don't think I won't, Mex!
He don't like havin' his colt crop whittled down. You--" Those blue eyes,
brilliant, yet oddly shallow and curtained, met Drew's for the second
time. "Don't know who you are, stranger, but you had no call to mix in.
I'll be seein' you. Kinda free with a gun, leastwise at showin' it. As
quick to back up your play?"

"Try me!" The words came out of Drew before he thought.

Why had he said that? He had never been one to pick a fight or take up a
challenge. What was there about Shannon that prodded Drew this way? He'd
met the gamecock breed before and had never known the need to bristle at
their crowing. Now he was disturbed that Shannon could prick him so.

Odd, the other had been successfully turned from his purpose here. Yet now
as he swung around and walked away down the alley Drew was left with a
nagging doubt, a feeling that in some way or other Shannon had come off
even in this encounter.... But how and why?

Teodoro spat. His sister tugged at Kells' sleeve. "It is not true what he
said. Why does he wish to make trouble?"

"Lissen, gal, an' you, too, Teodoro--jus' keep clear of Johnny Shannon when
he's on th' prod that way. I've knowed that kid since he didn't have
muscle enough to pull a gun 'less he took both hands to th' job. But he's
not needin' any two hands to unholster now. An' he's drinkin' a lot--mean,
ugly drunk, he is. Somethin' must have riled him good tonight--"

"In the cantina there was a soldier from the camp," Faquita volunteered.
"They call names. He and _Senor_ Juanito fight. _Don_ Reese, he put them
both out in the street. _Senor_ Juanito he falls, drops purse. Teodoro
picks it up, and we follow. When we try to give it back _Senor_ Juanito
yell, 'spy,' hit with whip. That is the truth, _por Dios_, the truth!"

"Yeah, sounds jus' like Johnny these days. Him with a snootful an'
somebody yellin' Reb and Yank. Some men can't forgit an' don't seem to
want to. Johnny sure takes it hard bein' on th' losin' side--turned him
dirt mean. Now, you kids, you stayin' in town?"

"_Si._" Faquita nodded vigorously. "With Tia Maria."

"Then you git there an' stay clear of Johnny Shannon, _sabe_? No more
trouble."

"_Si, Senor_ Kells. You, _senor_," she spo