The girl nodded with her eyes still on the skyline. "Oh, yes. He
seemed--somehow--different. As if people amused him. As if everything
were a joke and he were the only one who knew it was a joke. I could
_hate_ a man like that. The other, Mr. Purdy, hates him."

The man regarded her with an amused smile: "You keep a sort of mental
card index. I should like to have just a peep at my card."

"Cards sometimes have to be rewritten--and sometimes it really isn't
worth while to fill them out again. Come on, let's go. People are
beginning to gather for the fun and I want a good seat. There's a
lumber pile over there that'll be just the place, if we hurry."

In the Headquarters saloon Tex Benton leaned against the end of the bar
and listened to a Bear Paw Pool man relate how they took in a bunch of
pilgrims with a badger game down in Glasgow. Little knots of
cowpunchers stood about drinking at the bar or discussing the coming
celebration.

"They've got a bunch of bad ones down in the corral," someone said.
"That ol' roman nose, an' the wall-eyed pinto, besides a lot of snorty
lookin' young broncs. I tell yeh if Tex draws either one of them ol'
outlaws it hain't no cinch he'll grab off this ride. The _hombre_ that
throws his kak on one of them is a-goin' to do a little sky-ballin'
'fore he hits the dirt, you bet. But jest the same I'm here to bet ten
to eight on him before the drawin'."

Purdy who had joined the next group turned at the words.