il him in the end an' I staked twenty
on you agin my friend here! That was sure a slick change of hosses you
made."

There were other losers. Money chinked on all sides to an
accompaniment of laughter and curses. Jim Silent was examining the
roan with a scowl, while Bill Kilduff and Hal Purvis approached Satan
to look over his points. Purvis reached out towards the bridle when a
murderous snarl at his feet made him jump back with a shout. He stood
with his gun poised, facing Black Bart.

"Who's got any money to bet this damn wolf lives more'n five seconds?"
he said savagely.

"I have," said Dan.

"Who in hell are you? What d'you mean by trailing this man-killer
around?"

He turned to Dan with his gun still poised.

"Bart ain't a killer," said Dan, and the gentleness of his voice was
oil on troubled waters, "but he gets peeved when a stranger comes nigh
to the hoss."

"All right this time," said Purvis, slowly restoring his gun to its
holster, "but if this wolf of yours looks cross-eyed at me agin he'll
hit the long trail that ain't got any end, savvy?"

"Sure," said Dan, and his soft brown eyes smiled placatingly.

Purvis kept his right hand close to the butt of his gun and his eyes
glinted as if he expected an answer somewhat stronger than words.
At this mild acquiesence he turned away, sneering. Silent, having
discovered that he could find no fault with Dan's treatment of his
horse, now approached with an ominously thin-lipped smile. Lee Haines
read his face and came to his side with a whisper: "Better cut out the
rough stuff, Jim. This chap hasn't hurt anything but your cash, and
he's already taken water from Purvis. I guess there's no call for you
to make any play."

"Shut your face, Haines," responded Silent, in the same tone. "He's
made a fool of me by showin' up my hoss, an' by God I'm goin' to give
him a man-handlin' he'll never forgit."

He whirled on Morgan.

"How about it, bar-keep, is this the dead shot you was spillin' so
many words about?"

Dan, as if he could not understand the broad insult, merely smiled at
him with marvellous good nature.

"Keep away from him, stranger," warned Morgan. "Jest because he rode
your hoss you ain't got a cause to hunt trouble with him. He's been
taught not to fight."

Silent, still looking Dan over with insolent eyes, replied: "He sure
sticks to his daddy's lessons. Nice an' quiet an' house broke, ain't
he? In my part of the country they dress this kind