had flashed between them
last night--why had he felt it? There was nothing like that emotion now.
But as Johnny Shannon's gaze flitted from Topham to the Kentuckian, Drew
was once more aware that, whatever he might outwardly seem, Johnny Shannon
was no boy. Behind that disarmingly youthful facade was another person
altogether.

"Kirby, ain't it?" Shannon smiled. "Understand I got outta line th' other
night ... stepped on a lotta toes." That gaze flickered for the merest
instant to the Colts at the Kentuckian's belt. "I sure had me a real
snootful an' I guess I was jus' fightin' th' war all over again. No hard
feelin's?"

That guileless confession was very convincing on the surface. How did you
assess an emotion you did not understand yourself? Drew was teased by a
fleeting memory of the past, of a time when he had faced another pair of
eyes such as those, surface eyes behind which you could see nothing. Then
he became conscious that the pause was too lengthy, and he replied with a
hurry he immediately regretted:

"No hard feelin's."

This time he was able to recognize the meaning of that quirk of Shannon's
lips. But prudence controlled the small flare of temper he felt inside
him. It did not really matter. Let Shannon think he was backing down. If
the time ever came that they did have to have a showdown, Johnny Shannon
might be the surprised one.

"You're sure a trustin' fella." Shannon's fingers hooked to the front of
the gun belt riding low on the hip. "Not askin' for no receipt or
nothin'...."

Topham laughed. "We don't forget what is due a customer, Johnny." He went
to the desk, scribbled a line on a piece of paper, and held it out to
Drew. "This should meet all contingencies, such as some patron out there
getting downright ornery and putting a couple of extra buttonholes in my
vest by the six-gun slug method."

"Heard tell as how you're fixin' to race your plug 'gainst Oro, Kirby,"
Johnny drawled. "Also as how you laid down some good round boys to back
his chance. I took me a piece of them--easy pickin's." The sneer was
plainer in his voice than it had been in his smile.

Drew's puzzlement grew. Why was Shannon leaning on him this way? Because
he had stepped in to stop the quirting of Teodoro? That was the only
reason the Kentuckian could think of.

"That's a matter of opinion." Topham was studying them both with interest.
"I'd say Oro has him some real competition at last. None of the Eclipse
blood wa