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〃Yesthat isI and my friends have。〃
〃And when one shall not have mind the rulewhen one have say； 'No！
damn the rule；' what shall you make to him？ Shall you aprison
him？〃
Mr。 Parks hastened to say with a superior； yet engaging smile that
it never had been necessary； as the rules were obligatory upon the
honor and consent of alland were never broken。 〃Except；〃 he
added； still more engagingly； 〃she would remember； in her case
with their consent。〃
〃And your caballeros break not the rules？〃
〃No。〃
〃Then they shall not break the rules of meat MY TIENDA！ Look！ I
have made the rule that I shall not have a caballero drunk at my
house； I have made the rule that I shall not sell him the
aguardiente when he have too mooch。 I have made the rule that when
he gamble too mooch； when he put up too mooch money； I say 'No！' I
will not that he shall！ I make one more rule： that he shall not
quarrel nor fight in my house。 When he quarrel and fight； I say
'Go！ Vamos！ Get out！'〃
〃And very good rules they are too； Miss Mendez。〃
Jovita fixed her shining black eyes on the smiling Parks。 〃And
when he say； 'No； nevarre； damn the rules！' When he come drunk；
remain drunk； play high and fight； YOU will not poonish him？ YOU
will not take him out？〃
〃Well； you see； the fact is； I have not the power。〃
〃Are you not the Alcalde？〃
〃No。 There is a Justice of the Peace at Fiddletown； but even he
could do nothing to enforce your rules。 But if anything should
happen； you can make a complaint to him。〃
〃Bueno。 You have not the power； I have。 I make not the complaint
to Fiddletown。 I make the complaint to Jose Perez； to Manuel； to
Antonio； to Sanchichashe is a strong one！ I say 'Chook him out。'
They chook him out！ they remove him！ He does not r…r…remain。
Enough。 Bueno。 Gracias； senor； good…a…by！〃
She was gone。 For the next four days Parks was in a state of some
anxietybut it appeared unnecessarily so。 Whether the interview
had become known along the river did not transpire； but there
seemed to be no reason for Miss Mendez to enforce her rules。 It
was said that once； when Thompson of Angels was a little too noisy；
he had been quietly conducted by his friends from the tienda
without the intervention of Jose。 The frequenters of the saloon
became its police。
Yet the eventlong protractedcame at last！ It was a dry；
feverish； breezeless afternoon； when the short； echoless explosion
of a revolver puffed out on the river； followed by another；
delivered so rapidly that they seemed rolled into one。 There was
no mistaking that significant repetition。 ONE shot might have been
an accident； TWO meant intention。 The men dropped their picks and
shovels and ranran as they never before ran in Buckeyeran
mechanically； blindly groping at their belts and pockets for the
weapons that hung there no longer； ran aimlessly； as to purpose；
but following instinctively with hurried breath and quivering
nostrils the cruel scent of powder and blood。 Ran until； reaching
the tienda； the foremost stumbled over the body of Shuttleworth；
came upon the half…sitting； half…leaning figure of Saunders against
its adobe wall！ The doors were barred and closed； and even as the
crowd charged furiously forward； a window was sharply shut above；
in their very face。
〃Stand back； gentlemen！ Lift him up。 What's the row？ What is it；
Saunders？ Who did it？ Speak； man！〃
But Saunders； who was still supporting himself against the wall；
only looked at them with a singular and half…apologetic smile； and
then leaned forward as if to catch the eye of Shuttleworth； who was
recovering consciousness in the uplifted arms of his companions。
But neither spoke。
〃It's some dd Greaser inside！〃 said Thompson； with sudden
ferocity。 〃Some of her cursed crew！ Break down the doors； boys！〃
〃Stop！〃
It was the voice of Shuttleworth； speaking with an effort。 He was
hard hit； somewhere in the groin； pain and blood were coming with
consciousness and movement； and his face was ghastly。 Yet there
was the same singular smile of embarrassment which Saunders had
worn； and a touch of invincible disgust in his voice as he
stammered quickly； 〃Don't be dd fools！ It's no one in THERE。
It's only me and HIM！ He'll tell you that。 Won't you； Saunders？〃
〃Yes；〃 said Saunders； leaning anxiously forward； with a brightening
face。 〃Dn it allcan't you see？ It's onlyonly us。〃
〃You and me； that's all；〃 repeated Shuttleworth； with a feverish
laugh。 〃Only our dd foolishness！ Think of it； boys！ He gave
me the lie； and I drew！〃
〃Both of us full； you knowreg'lar beasts；〃 said Saunders； sinking
back against the wall。 〃Kick me； somebody； and finish me off。〃
〃I don't see any weapons here；〃 said Brace gravely； examining the
ground。
〃They're inside；〃 said Shuttleworth with tremulous haste。 〃We
began it in therejust like hogs； you know！ Didn't we； Saunders？〃
bitterly。
〃You bet；〃 said Saunders faintly。 〃Reg'lar swine。〃
Parks looked graver still； and as he passed a handkerchief around
the wounded man's thigh； said： 〃But I don't see where you got your
pistols； and how you got out here。〃
〃Clinched； you know； sorter rolled over out hereandandoh；
dn itdon't talk！〃
〃He means；〃 said Shuttleworth still feebly； 〃that wewegrabbed
ANOTHER MAN'S six…shooter andandhe that isand theyhehe
and me grabbed each other； anddon't you see？〃 but here；
becoming more involved and much weaker； he discreetly fainted away。
And that was all Buckeye ever knew of the affair！ For they refused
to speak of it again； and Dr。 Duchesne gravely forbade any further
interrogation。 Both men's revolvers were found undischarged in
their holsters； hanging in their respective cabins。 The balls
which were afterwards extracted from the two men singularly
disappeared； Dr。 Duchesne asserting with a grim smile that they had
swallowed them。*
* It was a frontier superstition that the ball extracted from a
gunshot wound； if swallowed by the wounded man； prevented
inflammation or any supervening complications。
Nothing could be ascertained of the facts at the tienda； which at
that hour of the day appeared to have been empty of customers； and
was occupied only by Miss Mendez and her retainers。 All surmises
as to the real cause of the quarrel and the reason for the
reticence of the two belligerents were suddenly and unexpectedly
stopped by their departure from Buckeye as soon as their condition
permitted； on the alleged opinion of Dr。 Duchesne that the air of
the river was dangerous to their convalescence。 The momentary
indignation against the tienda which the two combatants had
checked； eventually subsided altogether。 After all； the fight had
taken place OUTSIDE； it was not even proven that the provocation
had been given AT the tienda！ Its popularity was undiminished。
PART III。
It was the end of the rainy season； and a wet night。 Brace and
Parks were looking from the window over the swollen river； with
faces quite as troubled as the stream below。 Nor was the prospect
any longer the same。 In the past two years Buckeye had grown into
a city。 They could now count a half dozen church spires from