Johnny's voice had an edge of steel. The big man obeyed orders
implicitly. He turned slowly, and sneaked out the door. His followers
shambled toward the bar. Johnny passed them rather contemptuously under
the review of his snapping eyes, and they shambled a trifle faster.
Then, with elaborate nonchalance, we sauntered out.

"My Lord, Johnny!" I cried when we had reached the street, "that was
fine! I didn't know you had it in you!"

"Damn the luck!" he cried, kicking a tin can. "Oh, _damn_!"

He muttered to himself a moment, then turned to me with humorous
despair.

"What a stupid, useless mess!" he cried. "The minute that fellow came
into the room I saw we were let in for a row; so I went at it quick
before he had got organized. He didn't expect that. He thought he'd have
to work us into it."

"It certainly got him," said I.

"But it just starts us all wrong here," complained Johnny. "We are
marked men."

"We'll just have to look out for him a little. I don't believe he's
really dangerous. He looks to me a lot like a bluffer."

"Oh, him!" said Johnny contemputously, "he doesn't worry me any. It's
all the rest of them. I've practically challenged all the hard cases in
camp, don't you see? I'm no longer an inconspicuous newcomer. Every
tough character with any real nerve will want to tackle me now, just to
try me out."

From the impulsive and unanalytical Johnny this was surprising enough,
and my face must have showed it.

"I've seen it worked out in my part of the country," he explained
sombrely. "I don't want to bother with that sort of thing. I'm a
peaceable citizen. Now I've got to walk around on tiptoe all the time
watching for trouble. Oh, _damn_!"

"If you're afraid----" I began.

"I'm not afraid," said Johnny so simply that I believed him at once.
"But I'm annoyed. And of course you recognized that barkeeper."

"I thought I'd seen him before, but I don't remember just where."

"He's one of those fellows we fired out of our canoe down at Chagres.
You can bet he doesn't love us any!"

"You move along to Porcupine to-morrow," I suggested. "I can look after
Yank all right. They won't bother me."

Johnny walked for some steps in silence.

"No, they won't bother you," he repeated slowly.

He thought for a moment, then he threw back his head. "But look here,
Jim," he said briskly, "you forget. I told that fellow and his friends
that I was going to live in this place. I can't leave now."

"Nons