, like the wicked,
flourish best under darkness. After supper, just about dusk, we went
over to the stable, caught our horses, saddled them, and tied them up
for the night. We fully expected to leave town by ten o'clock, for it
was a good twelve mile ride to the Saw Log. In making the rounds of
the variety theatres and dance halls, we hung together. Lovell excused
himself early in the evening, and at parting we assured him that the
outfit would leave for camp before midnight. We were enjoying
ourselves immensely over at the Lone Star dance hall, when an incident
occurred in which we entirely neglected the good advice of McNulta,
and had the sensation of hearing lead whistle and cry around our ears
before we got away from town.

Quince Forrest was spending his winnings as well as drinking freely,
and at the end of a quadrille gave vent to his hilarity in an
old-fashioned Comanche yell. The bouncer of the dance hall of course
had his eye on our crowd, and at the end of a change, took Quince to
task. He was a surly brute, and instead of couching his request in
appropriate language, threatened to throw him out of the house.
Forrest stood like one absent-minded and took the abuse, for
physically he was no match for the bouncer, who was armed, moreover,
and wore an officer's star. I was dancing in the same set with a
red-headed, freckled-faced girl, who clutched my arm and wished to
know if my friend was armed. I assured her that he was not, or we
would have had notice of it before the bouncer's invective was ended.
At the conclusion of the dance, Quince and The Rebel passed out,
giving the rest of us the word to remain as though nothing was wrong.
In the course of half an hour, Priest returned and asked us to take
our leave one at a time without attracting any attention, and meet at
the stable. I remained until the last, and noticed The Rebel and the
bouncer taking a drink together at the bar,--the former apparently in
a most amiable mood. We passed out together shortly afterward, and
found the other boys mounted and awaiting our return, it being now
about midnight. It took but a moment to secure our guns, and once in
the saddle, we rode through the town in the direction of the herd. On
the outskirts of the town, we halted. "I'm going back to that dance
hall," said Forrest, "and have one round at least with that
whore-herder. No man who walks this old earth can insult me, as he
did, not if he has a hundred stars on him. If