Bostwick, with jealousy increasing upon him.
His one consolation lay in the fact that in less than two days Van
Buren would be no better off than a pauper at best with scarcely a
shelter for his head.

One of the interesting and vital chapters in the whole affair was
meanwhile in McCoppet's hands and receiving his attention. Trimmer had
been captured, far more sober than the gambler could have hoped. The
two were in the den once more, the lumberman smoking an excellent cigar
as if it had been a stick of candy.

McCoppet came to his subject promptly.

"Look here, Larry," he said, "you know Van Buren when you see him."

Trimmer glanced up sharply, ready in an instant to resent what he felt
to partake of the nature of a personal affront.

"Don't git funny, Opal. If ever I fight Van Buren when I'm sober I'll
eat him alive. I was drunk when he licked me, and you know it!"

McCoppet leaned back in his chair and half closed his eyes.

"I didn't know but what you'd like to sober up and lick him."

Trimmer stared, shifted uneasily in his seat, and demanded:

"Where? Where is he at?"

"He's going to Starlight to-morrow--from up by the reservation--from
his claim. If he don't git back for a couple of days--I could make it
worth your while; and you could cash in for that time he licked you
when you wasn't in condition."

Again Trimmer fidgeted. "I guess he licked me fair enough. I admit
he's all right in a scrap. I ain't holdin' nuthin' agin him.
Goldite's good enough fer me."

McCoppet knew the creature was afraid to meet his man--that Trimmer's
attack on Van Buren, once before, had been planned with much
deliberation, had amounted to an ambush, in point of fact, resulting in
disaster to the bully.

"I counted on you to help me, Larry," he said, drumming on the table
with his fingers. "You're the only man of your kind with brains in all
the camp."

Trimmer had smoked his cigar to within an inch of his mouth. He
extinguished the fire and chewed up the stump voraciously.

"Say!" he suddenly ejaculated, leaping to his feet and coming around
the table, "I can fix him all right," and he lowered his voice to a
whisper. "Barger would give up a leg to git a show at Van Buren!"

"Barger?" echoed McCoppet. "Matt? But they got him! Got 'em all."

"Got nuthin'," the lumberman ejaculated. "What's the good of all
these lyin' papers when I seen Matt myself, readin' the piece about him
goin' back to the p