"
Everyone in the room was grave except Jim Silent and his three
companions, who were smiling grimly.
"By God, Jack," said the first man with ominous softness, "I'll take a
lot from you but when it comes to doubtin' my word----"
Morgan, with popping eyes and a very red face, slapped his hand on
the bar and vaulted over it with more agility than his plumpness
warranted. He shouldered his way hurriedly through the crowd to the
rapidly widening circle around the two disputants. They stood with
their right hands resting with rigid fingers low down on their hips,
and their eyes, fixed on each other, forgot the rest of the world.
Morgan burst in between them.
"Look here," he thundered, "it's only by way of a favour that I'm
lettin' you boys wear shootin' irons today because I promised old
Cumberland there wouldn't be no fuss. If you got troubles there's
enough room for you to settle them out in the hills, but there ain't
none at all in here!"
The gleam went out of their eyes like four candles snuffed by the
wind. Obviously they were both glad to have the tension broken. Mike
wiped his forehead with a rather unsteady hand.
"I ain't huntin' for no special brand of trouble," he said, "but Jack
has been ridin' the red-eye pretty hard and it's gotten into that
dried up bean he calls his brain.
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