ng?" demanded

nted Racey. "You wanna come along? Better not. Them violets

isfied till yo're ticklin' the mule's hind leg? If yo're crowded, hop to i

ll find trouble don't wear so many guns after all and is

l four of 'em toge

hty, Swing, I only want to go and ask how Nebraska's gettin

ed up his chaps, and started blithely round the hotel. Swing Tunstall fo

yore muss, Swing,"

s the determined re

have a friend like Swing Tunstall-one who would not interfere but who would be in alert readiness for any contingency.

ess none of 'em will be in the dance

Starlight first, anyway,"

ere visible. These, a long man and a short man, stood at the bar, their backs to the window and th

right," they heard him complain. "But bunking w

hort man set down their glasses Racey Dawson was leaning against the bar at a range of approximately six feet. Swing Tunstall stood at hi

id Racey to

ont of each man and the bottle came to a standstill between them. Racey spun a dollar on the bar. The bartender nonchalantly swept the

had filled Racey took the bottle, drove home the cork with the heel of his

served to Swing, "but it ain't gonn

while!" horned in the outraged bartende

ly, hesitantly, "and you kept the change. I sup

and moved toward the shelf that Racey knew must be under

charging four bits ap

bartender's hand had rema

regular price," obj

e truculent statement, sticking out his

on. He had what is known as a "fighting" face, this Starlight bartender. It was

gently as the bartender's hand suddenly nipped into sight

, and smote the bartender across the head with it. Being a quart bottle and reasonably full of liquid, the bartender's chin came down with a chug on the bar. T

espect. The long man wore a drooping, streaky-yellow horseshoe of a moustache dominated by a long and melanch

h of red beard and a quid of chewing in the angle of a heavy jaw. Now he r

for the bartender's gun. "Hadn't oughta be trusted with firearms," he observ

ixshooter and rammed it down to the trigger

nybody named Doc Cof

tall man, the pale eye

ell me how Nebraska J

t his health?" put

orrying' exactly," dis

t I'm just aski

th," supplied Doc Coffin. "And," he added, significantly, "I

" said Racey with a smile

laugh. "He will, you can gamble on

ooking quite pleased. "Of course I w

," Doc Coffin e

"Or else he could shoot through his holster. Lots of folks do business

admitted

his?" pur

offin's spare frame

ka's friends are looking for me. I'm here to

nned, as he spoke, like a grieving

round Farewell a s

hurry," Doc Coffin

" contributed

d Racey. "I shore don't care anything

knocked down the bartender, and, accompanied and imita

e Doc Coffin looke

y," said Doc Coffin.

e) spread his legs and whistled when he glimpsed the three-inch cut running fore and aft along the top of the bartender's skull. Blood from that cut had dribbled and oozed over the major

at the stertorously breathing l

he a mess? I expect he'll be right do

was not quite sure of t

hore he will when I tell

cke

. Kicked afte

ow

Dawson kick Bull when he was

it might save trouble if Bull wa

f reason for doin' a job yoreself if you

ght. Over across from the bed Doc Coffin was looking out of the grimy window. Behind the closed door giv

rustle of Bull's slight m

head?" he

andage encircling his bulle

Doc Alton took three stitches. Lucky you was st

the next room, himself, and wound up with a blistering curse di

lauded dryly. "Cuss him out. Give h

consign Doc Coffin to t

ore back now, but you'll be getting all right in a li'l while, and it's just possible, Bull, I m

e pale blue eyes of Doc Coff

after a momentary silence

th

u, anyway? Don't you know any better'n to go up against a jigger

ll,

ut not you. You just stood there like a bump on a log and let him hit you. Yo're a fine-lookin' example of a two-l

k," alibied Bull. "I

ect to get what they got. Yo're lucky to be lyin' there with

mean to say he kicked

you. Kicked you when you was lyin

had percolated through and through his brain he pulled himself to a sitting

and with no gentle hand shoved Bull down upon

and fill that -

ll that? Tha's fine. Do you want a

ay

y something sensible

t away with it!" Bull decl

and you wouldn't last as long as a short drink in a roomful of dru

I see

you wanna paint for war now and immediate? No, Bully, not a-tall. You