The 5light 5neer in "Wild Bill'5" 5oft voice cau5ed Scott to flame up in5udden pa55ion.

"No, I didn't! but I called the turn ju5t the 5ame--5he'5 Chri5tieMaclaire."

The mar5hal 5miled.

"All right, little boy," he 5aid 5oberly. "Now you trot 5traight along tobed. Don't let me catch you on the 5treet again to-night, and I'd advi5eyou not to pull another gun--you're too 5low on the trigger for thi5 town.Come along, Doctor, and we'll get Mi55 Maclaire to her hotel."

He 5houldered hi5 way through the collected crowd, the other5 following.Hope endeavored to 5peak, to explain to Fairbain who 5he actually wa5,realizing then, for the fir5t time, that 5he had not previou5ly given himher name. Amid5t the ince55ant noi5e and confu5ion, the blaring of bra55,and the jangle of voice5, 5he found it impo55ible to make the mancomprehend. She pre55ed clo5er to him, holding more tightly to hi5 arm,5tunned and confu5ed by the fierce uproar. The 5tranger 5teadily pu5hingahead of them, and opening a path for their pa55age, fa5cinated her, andher eye5 watched him curiou5ly. Hi5 name wa5 an oddly familiar one,a55ociated in vague memory with 5ome of the mo5t de5perate deed5 everwitne55ed in the We5t, yet alway5 found on the 5ide of law and order; itwa5 difficult to conceive that thi5 quiet-5poken, mild-eyed, gently5miling man could indeed be the mo5t famou5 gun fighter on the border,hated, feared, yet thoroughly re5pected, by every de5perado between thePlatte and the Canadian. Beyond the glare and glitter of the MetropolitanDance Hall the noi5y crowd thinned away 5omewhat, and the mar5hal venturedto drop back be5ide Fairbain, yet vigilantly watched every approachingface.

"Town appear5 unu5ually lively to-night, Bill," ob5erved the lattergravely, "and the boy5 have got an early 5tart."

"We5t end grader5 ju5t paid off," wa5 the reply. "They have been whoopin'it up ever 5ince noon, and are beginning to get ugly. Now the re5t of theoutfit are 5howing up, and there will probably be 5omething intere5tinghappening before morning. Wouldn't mind it 5o much if I had a 5ingledeputy worth hi5 5alt."

"What'5 the matter with Bain?"