trail leads along the side of a canyon to its head. Far below they
heard the tumbling roar of a stream in its rocky course.

"Sure the man must do something?"

"As near as I can make out Jefferson Worth does everybody."

"Oh ho! So that's ut? I've no care for the cards mesilf, but av a
man's a professional an'--"

"You're off there, pardner. Jefferson Worth ain't that kind. He's
one o' these here financierin' sports, an' so far as anybody that I
ever seen goes, he's got a dead cinch."

"Ye mane he's a banker?"

"Sure. The Pioneer in Rubio City. He started the game in the early
days an' he's been a-rollin' it up ever since. Hit's plumb curious
about this here financierin' business," continued Tex, in his slow,
meditative way. "Looks to me mostly jest plain, common hold-up, only
they do it with money 'stead of a gun. In the old days you used to
get the drop on your man with your six, all regular, an' take what
he happened to have in his clothes. Then the posse'd get after you
an' mebbe string you up, which was all right, bein' part of the
game. Now these fellows like Jefferson Worth, they get's your name
on some writin's an' when you ain't lookin' they slips up an' gets
away with all your worldly possessions, an' the sheriff he jest
laughs an' says hits good business. This here Worth man is jest
about the coolest, smoothest, hardest proposition in the game. He
fair makes my back hair raise. The common run o' people ain't got no