I crossed a number of intersecting streets, met children, nice-looking
women, and more than one dusty-booted man.

Half-way back this street I turned at right angles and walked up several
blocks till I came to a tree-bordered plaza. On the far side opened a
broad street which for all its horses and people had a sleepy look.

I walked on, alert, trying to take in everything, wondering if I would
meet Steele, wondering how I would know him if we did meet. But I
believed I could have picked that Ranger out of a thousand strangers,
though I had never seen him.

Presently the residences gave place to buildings fronting right upon the
stone sidewalk. I passed a grain store, a hardware store, a grocery
store, then several unoccupied buildings and a vacant corner.

The next block, aside from the rough fronts of the crude structures,
would have done credit to a small town even in eastern Texas. Here was
evidence of business consistent with any prosperous community of two
thousand inhabitants.

The next block, on both sides of the street, was a solid row of saloons,
resorts, hotels. Saddled horses stood hitched all along the sidewalk in
two long lines, with a buckboard and team here and there breaking the
continuity. This block was busy and noisy.

From all outside appearances, Linrock was no different from other
frontier towns, and my expectations were scarcely realized.

As the afternoon was waning I retraced my steps and returned to the