"Steady up, pal," said Morgan, "the lads mean no harm. That tall man
is considerable riled; which he'll now bet his sombrero agin you when
it comes to shootin'."

He turned back to Silent.

"Look here, partner," he said, "this is the man I said could nail the
four dollars before they hit the dust. I figger you don't think how it
can be done, eh?"

"Him?" said Silent in deep disgust. "Send him back to his ma before
somebody musses him all up! Why, he don't even pack a gun!"

Morgan waited a long moment so that the little silence would make his
next speech impressive.

"Stranger," he said, "I've still got somewhere in the neighbourhood of
five hundred dollars in that cash drawer. An' every cent of it hollers
that Dan can do what I said."

Silent hesitated. His code was loose, but he did not like to take
advantage of a drunk or a crazy man. However, five hundred dollars was
five hundred dollars. Moreover that handsome fellow who had just taken
water from Hal Purvis and was now smiling foolishly at his own shame,
had actually ridden Red Peter. The remembrance infuriated Silent.

"Hurry up," said Morgan confidently. "I dunno what you're thinkin',
stranger. Which I'm kind of deaf an' I don't understand the way
anything talks except money."