your work all the time the fellow was firing at you. Still, it
was unwise to expose yourself needlessly to danger."

"I didn't consider Bad Pete particularly dangerous," Tom rejoined.

"A lawless man with a loaded revolver is hardly a safe person
to trifle with," retorted Mr. Thurston dryly.

"I see that I shall have to make a confession," smiled Tom. "It
was this way, sir. When Hazelton and I were on our way west Harry
insisted that we were coming into a dangerous country and that
we'd need firearms. So Harry bought two forty-five six-shooters
and several boxes of cartridges, too. I was provoked when I heard
about it, for we hadn't any too much money, and Harry had bought
the revolvers out of our joint treasury."

"I felt sure we'd need the pistols," interrupted Hazelton. "Today's
affair shows that I was right. Tom, you'll have to carry one
of the revolvers after this."

"I'm no gun-packer," retorted Tom scornfully. "Young men have
no business carting firearms about unless they're hunting or going
to war. Any fellow who carries a pistol as he would a lead pencil
is either a coward or a lunatic."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Reade," nodded Mr. Thurston approvingly.
"Two of my staff carry pistols, but they do so under my orders.
In the first place they're grown men, not boys. In the second
place, they're working over a stretch of ground where rattlesnakes
are thick. Your coolness today served you better than a pistol