of a man in gal's
clothes so's nobody'll ever get sore at him an' spoil his pretty face.
Better go home to your ma. This ain't any place for you. They's men
aroun' here."

There was another one of those grimly expectant hushes and then a
general guffaw; Dan showed no inclination to take offence. He merely
stared at brawny Jim Silent with a sort of childlike wonder.

"All right," he said meekly, "if I ain't wanted around here I figger
there ain't any cause why I should stay. You don't figger to be peeved
at me, do you?"

The laughter changed to a veritable yell of delight. Even Silent
smiled with careless contempt.

"No, kid," he answered, "if I was peeved at you, you'd learn it
without askin' questions."

He turned slowly away.

"Maybe I got jaundice, boys," he said to the crowd, "but it seems to
me I see something kind of yellow around here!"

The delightful subtlety of this remark roused another side-shaking
burst of merriment. Dan shook his head as if the mystery were beyond
his comprehension, and looked to Morgan for an explanation. The
saloon-keeper approached him, struggling with a grin.

"It's all right, Dan," he said. "Don't let 'em rile you."

"You ain't got any cause to fear that," said Silent, "because it can't
be done."

CHAPTER V

FOUR IN THE AIR

Dan looked from Morgan to Silent and back again for understanding.
He felt that something was wrong, but what it was he had not the
slightest idea. For many years old Joe Cumberland had patiently taught
him that the last offence against God and man was to fight. The old
cattleman had instilled in him the belief that if he did not cross the
path of another, no one would cross his way. The code was perfect
and satisfying. He would let the world alone and the world would not
trouble him. The placid current of his life had never come to "white
waters" of wrath.

Wherefore he gazed bewildered about him. They were laughing--they were
laughing unpleasantly at him as he had seen men laugh at a fiery young
colt which struggled against the rope. It was very strange. They could
not mean harm. Therefore he smiled back at them rather uncertainly.
Morgan slapped at his shoulder by way of good-fellowship and to
hearten him, but Dan slipped away under the extended hand with a
motion as subtle and swift as the twist of a snake when it flees for
its hole. He had a deep aversion for contact with another man's body.
He hated it as the wild horse hates the