Brice faced about with determined eyes. "I'LL DO IT," he said quietly.

"Ye might," said Bill, still more deliberately stroking his beard,
"mention my name, ef ye ever get to see him."

"Your name," ejaculated the astonished Brice.

"My name," repeated Bill calmly. "He knows it's my bounden duty to kill
him ef I get the chance, and I know that he'd plug me full o' holes in
a minit ef thar war a necessity for it. But in these yer affairs, sonny,
it seems to be the understood thing by the kempany that I'm to keep
fiery young squirts like you, and chuckle-headed passengers like
them"--jerking his thumb towards the other room--"from gettin'
themselves killed by their rashness. So ontil the kempany fill the top
o' that coach with men who ain't got any business to do BUT fightin'
other men who ain't got any other business to do BUT to fight them--the
odds are agin us! Harry has always acted square to me--that's how I
know he ain't in this sneak-thief business, and why he didn't foller us,
suspectin' suthin', and I've always acted square to him. All the same,
I'd like ter hev seen his face when that box was opened! Lordy!" Here
Bill again collapsed in his silent paroxysm of mirth. "Ye might tell him
how I laughed!"

"I would hardly do that, Bill," said the young man, smiling in spite of
himself. "But you've given me an idea, and I'll work it out."

Bill glanced at the young fellow's kindling eyes and flushing cheek, and
nodded. "Well, rastle with that idea later on, sonny. I'll fix you all
right in my report to the kempany, but the rest you must work alone.
I've started out the usual posse, circus-ridin' down the road after