A Man Four-Square

Fi

ll he had known in the days when he rode with Quantrell's guerrillas on the infamous raids of that bandit. A second flung into the blue sk

heir horses, and trailed with jingling spurs into that oasis of refreshment. Each of them

orward with a swagger. The bartender was busy dusting his stock. Before t

m up, Mike. And jump!"

y line of the sullen, dissipated face of the bully. It was a safe bet that he was us

drinks wer

e 's

ow

was tilted

asleep in bed after their labors. So too were the dance girls. The poker rooms upstairs held only the stale odor of tobacco and whiskey. Except

ing. In the rear one corner of the floor held a rostrum with seats for musicians. The center of the hall was kept clear for dancing. Three steps led t

odded toward the roisterers and murmured info

e relaxed body had grown rigid. No longer was he lounging against the back of his chair. From his eyes the laughter had been wiped out, as a wet sponge obliterates writing on a slate.

the bar was speaking. He had a shock of

e through here two days ago with a herd, his killers bragged of it. Ask Harsha up at the Buffalo Corral if

the face, from which all the color had been driven. It expressed something so deadly, so menacing, that the young man across

de no move to leave. He was still taking in e

ayin' something, Hugh. There ain't room in

vy-jawed. His eyes were set so close together that it gave him a sinister expression. "Talkin' don't get u

lained again the young man at the table in a low voi

tice that no bunch of shorthorn punchers can kill a brother of mine an' get away with it. Un'erstand? I'll meet up w

on the outskirts of civilization because the Lone Star State did not suit his health. "I would certainly h

n's admiration. "Mind, I don't say Ranse wasn't a good man.

! you make him look like a plugged nickel when you

I'm right. But at that Ranse was a mighty good man. They bushwhacked him,

d-there at the table-come here an' hold these ropes! See y

round so that he half-faced the group bef

manded the man with the s

in' right away. When I d

the victor of many a rough-and-tumble fight. On account of his reputation for quarrelsomeness men chose their words carefully when they spoke

or I'll whale the life

he boy in a low, clear voice. "I'm no

is eyes, might have warned Roush and perhaps did. He

you from?"

ywhere b

at you're h

hat I'm he

you to git out

to tell me unless yo

s not ready, Roush because he did not want to show any premature alarm before the men taking in the scene. Nor could he yet

osely. A likeness to someone whom he co

at's yore name?"

the sureness of his motions and he accepted nothing as of chance. The experience of Roush was that

is James

ised oath. "It's 'Lind

rother-the k

essed it,

he two crosse

Whad you want?" a

nstinct of the killer is always to take his enemy at advantage. Clanton, with that six

brags about what you would do when you met up with them that killed Ranse Roush. Fine! Now let's see you make good. I'm the

jeering. He wanted to drive his enemies to attac

u kille

' back of the bar, Hugh Roush? Ain't odds of two to one good enough for you-an' that one only a kid-without you ru

ave been seen at that moment vanishing out of the back door to

Dave Roush was a bad man-a killer. He had three notches on his gun. Perhaps he had kill

n a kid. You, Clanton-whatever you call

saw that Hugh was edging back of the bar and dragging out his gun. This boy could be killed safely now, since they were

it, Reb. He's g

tage. His revolver was in the clear before that of Clanton, but Jim fired from the hip without apparent aim. The bullet was flung from the bar

about as he fired. The first shot of the red-headed man had hit him and the shock of it interfered with his accuracy. Hugh had disa

n on Dave, throwing shot after shot at him. That he would kill his enemy Clanton never had a doub

hed forward into the smoke. He heard Roush fall heavily to the floor

rouched behind the bar, had been firing at him through the woodwork. Now a bullet stru

econd hole just above the first. Three long, noiseless strides brought Clanton to the end of the bar.

that end

recognized it. Overcome by a sudden nausea, he leaned aga