way! Arms out! That's good!
You rest there comfortable while I take these pins down and let the kid
out."

He removed the knives that hemmed in the boy and supported the
half-fainting figure to a chair beside the roulette table. But always he
remained in such a position as to keep the big bully he was baiting
in view. The boy dropped into the chair and covered his face with his
hands, sobbing with deep, broken breaths. The ranger touched caressingly
the crisp, fair hair that covered the head in short curls.

"Don't you worry, bub. Now, don't you. It's all over with now. That
coyote won't pester you any more. Will you, Mr. False Alarm Bad Man?"

At the last words he wheeled suddenly to the showman. "You're right
sorry already you got so gay, ain't you? Come! Speak yore little piece,
please."

He waited for an answer, and his gaze held fast to the bloated face that
cringed before his attack.

"What's your name?"

"Jay Hardman," quavered the now thoroughly sobered bad man.

"Dead easy jay, I reckon you mean. Now, chirp, up and tell the boy how
sorry you are you got fresh with your hardware."

"He's my boy. I guess I can do what I like with him," the man burst out
angrily. "I wasn't hurting him any, either. That's part of our show,
to--"

Bucky fondled suggestively the revolver in his hand. A metallic click
came to his victim.

"Don't you shoot at me again," the man broke off to scream.

The Colt clipped the sentence and the man's other ear.

"You can put in your order now for them earrings we were mentionin', Mr.
Deadeasy. You see, I had to puncture this one so folks would know they
were mates."

"I'll put you in the pen for this," the fellow whined, in terror.

"Funny how you will get off the subject. We were discussin' an apology
when you got to wandering in yore haid."

The mottled face showed white in patches. Beads of perspiration stood
out on the forehead of Hardman. "I didn't aim to hurt him any. I'll be
right glad to explain to you--"

A bullet plowed a path through the long hair that fell to the showman's
shoulders and snipped a lock from it.

"You don't need to explain a thing to me, seh. I'm sure resting easy
in my mind. But as you were about to re-mark you're fair honin' for a
chance to ask the kid's pardon. Now, ain't I a mind reader, seh?"

A trembling voice stammered huskily an apology.

"Better late than too late. Now, I've a good mind to take a vote whether
I'd better unload the r