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The preceding night Beasley bad been finishing a late supper at his newly acquired ranch, when Buck Weaver, one of his men, burst in upon him with news of the death of Mulvey and Pedro

"Who's in the outfit? How many?" he had questioned, quickly

"It's a one-man outfit, boss," replied Weaver

Beasley appeared astounded He and his irl whose property he had taken over, and because of the superiority of his own force he had anticipated no bloody or extended feud This a circumstance put the case in very much more difficult foras An', boss, he turns out to be a gun-slinger from Texas I was in Turner's Hed jest happened to step in the other rooas co he called Jeff an' Pedro They both showed yaller An' then, damn if thet cowboy didn't turn his back on them an' went to the bar fer a drink But he was lookin' in the uns why he whirled quick as lightnin' an' bored them both I sneaked out an--"

"Why didn't you bore him?" roared Beasley

Buck Weaver steadily eyed his boss before he replied "I ain't takin' shots at any fellar froas--excoose me, boss! I've still a hankerin' fer sunshine an' red liquor Besides, I 'ain't got nothin' ag'in' Las Vegas If he's rustled over here at the head of a crowd to put us off I'd fight, jest as we'd all fight But you see we figgered wrong It's between you an' Las Vegas! You oughter seen him throw thet hunter Dale out of Turner's"

"Dale! Did he coot there just after the cowboy plugged Jeff An' thet big-eyed girl, she came runnin' in, too An' she keeled over in Dale's aras shoved him out--cussed hiht coered on"

Beasley thus heard the West speak out of the rim, sardonic, almost scornful, indeed, were the words of Buck Weaver This rider had once worked for Al Auchincloss and had deserted to Beasley under Mulvey's leadership Mulvey was dead and the situation was vastly changed

Beasley gave Weaver a dark, lowering glance, and waved him away Froaze, then slouched out That gaze Beasley had not encountered before