ifferent places an' wound up in Cinnabar.

"I got a job drivin' dude wagons out of there an' Gardner, an' one
evenin' I was comin' down the trail with my dudes, nine of 'em--an' out
steps two men an' shoves six-guns in under my nose. I pulled up an' then
I got a good look at 'em. It was Old Pete Bradley, an' Wild Hoss Duffy!
Old Pete had me covered an' Wild Hoss was goin' through my dudes. Old
Pete he recognized me about the same time I did him--an' he grinned. He
never grinned again! It was a fool thing to do, but I was jest a
kid--an' the dirt they'd done me was still fresh. I jerked out my gun
an' begun shootin'. An' when I put it up Old Pete an' Wild Hoss was
deader'n nits--an' I was so crazy mad that I'd jumped offen the seat an'
was trompin' 'em into the trail. The dudes pulled me off, an' tuck up a
collection an' give it to me, an' the company give me a reward, too. The
railroad an' the express company had rewards out but I didn't dast try
an' collect 'em, 'cause how was I supposed to know they was the ones
pulled the hold-up?

"Well, I got kind of notorious fer savin' the dudes an' I had a good
thing there until one day I seen a man hangin' around the depot. It was
Mike Hinch--an' that night I blew. I worked around after
that--cowpunchin', bartendin', minin' an' lots of other jobs, but I
never would stay long in a place--till I hit Wolf River an' seen you. I
figgered if I had to make a stand it might's well be there as anywheres
so I stayed. I know'd Mike Hinch was on my trail. It wasn't that I was
afraid of him--afraid he'd shoot me--'cause I'd took care to get so good
with a six-gun, either handed, that he wouldn't stand no show. But, I'd
learnt my lesson--that crooked work don't pay. I wanted to be on the
level, an' I was afraid that Mike would somehow tip me off fer that
hold-up, to git even for me killin' Old Pete an' Wild Hoss." Cinnabar
paused and, his wife, who had been drinking in every word leaned toward
him eagerly:

"But, Purdy? How did Purdy git in on it?"

"I was comin' to that. A year ago, Purdy had a little job of dirty work
he wanted done an' he come to me to do it. I told him where to head in
at an' then he sprung--what I've jest told you. I pulled my gun an'
covered him, but--somehow I couldn't shoot him down in cold blood--not
even fer that. He'd left his guns off a purpose. Then he lit in an' told
how he was ridin' along Big Dry an' found a man layin' there with his
back broke, which his