WE MEET DOUBTFUL CHARACTERS 



man; and if it came to a fight I could at least 

 handle cartridges for them. But what could three 

 of us do against a gang of unknown numbers of 

 these lawless men? 



"Jack, haven't you been a little too brash? 

 You may get us into a scrape if he brings up his 

 men. 



**Ef there's none of 'em more dangerous than 

 their captain there's nothin' to fear. I've studied 

 such fellows all my life, an' I never made a mis- 

 take in one of his sort. He's just such another 

 blowhard as that *bad man from Texas' that I 

 swatted in Leavenworth. An' on the principle of 

 *Hke master, Hke man,' you'll be apt to find that 

 this big company of desperadoes, if we ever meet 

 'em, will dwindle down to six or eight windy ruf- 

 fians like their captain. I beheve the three of 

 us could whip twenty of 'em. Such fellers don't 

 fight unless they can get the drop, an' we'll see 

 that they don't do that." 



Just as we reached the store door I turned to 

 see what had become of Joe, and noticed him still 

 standing where we had left him — as near the mules 

 as Found would let him come — intently engaged 

 in writing or drawing something with a pencil on 

 a piece of paper. The paper he held in his hand 

 looked like a yellow envelope, and, nudging Jack, 

 I pointed to him. 



Joe seemed to be deeply interested in his work, 

 looking first at the mules and then at his yellow 



45 



