"Thankin' you jest the same, Dan," he said, "I think I c'n walk back.
I'd as soon ride a tame tornado as that hoss."

He limped on down the road with Dan riding beside him. Black Bart
slunk at his heels, sniffing.

"Dan, I'm goin' to ask you a favour--an' a big one; will you do it for
me?"

"Sure," said Whistling Dan. "Anything I can."

"There's a skunk down there with a bad eye an' a gun that jumps out
of its leather like it had a mind of its own. He picked me for fifty
bucks by nailing a dollar I tossed up at twenty yards. Then he gets a
hundred because I couldn't ride this hoss of his. Which he's made a
plumb fool of me, Dan. Now I was tellin' him about you--maybe I was
sort of exaggeratin'--an' I said you could have your back turned when
the coins was tossed an' then pick off four dollars before they hit
the ground. I made it a bit high, Dan?"

His eyes were wistful.

"Nick four round boys before they hit the dust?" said Dan. "Maybe I
could, I don't know. I can't try it, anyway, Morgan, because I told
Dad Cumberland I'd never pull a gun while there was a crowd aroun'."

Morgan sighed; he hesitated, and then: "But you promised you'd do me a
favour, Dan?"

The rider started.