find himself covered with a .45 navy 

 Colt. 



" Ye got the drop on me/' he said; 

 " I ain't got no gun ; but look-a here, 

 stranger, that there little B'ar is the 

 only pard I got; he r s my stiddy com- 

 pany an r we r re almighty fond o' each 

 other. I didn't know how much I was 

 a-goin f to miss him. Now look-a here: 

 take back yer fifty; ye give me Jack 

 an' keep Jill." 



"If ye got five hundred cold plunks 

 in yaller ye kin get him; if not, you 

 walk straight to that tree thar an' 

 don't drop yer hands or turn or I '11 

 fire. Now start." 



Mountain etiquette is very strict, 

 and Lan, being without weapons, must 

 needs obey the rules. He marched to 

 the distant tree under cover of the re- 

 volver. The wail of little Jack smote 

 painfully on his ear, but he knew the 



