questions about what has happened?"

There was a bustle in the group of men. They were putting
away the weapons, not quite sure what they could do next.

"I am going to tell you exactly what has happened," said Gainor. "You
heard the unfortunate things that passed at the table today. What the
sheriff said was not said as an insult; but under the circumstances it
became necessary for Terence Hollis to resent what he had heard. As a man
of honor he could not do otherwise. You all agree with me in that?"

They grunted a grudging assent. There were ways and ways of looking at
such things. The way of Gainor was a generation old. But there was
something so imposing about the old fellow, something which breathed the
very spirit of honor and fair play, that they could not argue the point.

"Accordingly Mr. Hollis sent for the sheriff. Not to bring him outdoors
and shoot him down in a sudden gunplay, nor to take advantage of him
through a surprise--as a good many men would have been tempted to do, my
friends, for the sheriff has a wide reputation as a handler of guns of
all sorts. No, sir, he sent for me also, and he told us frankly that the
bad blood between him and the sheriff must be spent. You understand? By
the Lord, my friends, I admired the fine spirit of the lad. He expected
to be shot rather than to drop the sheriff. I could tell that by his
expression. But his eye did not falter. It carried me back to the old
days--to old days, sirs!"

There was not a murmur in the entire room. The eye of Elizabeth Cornish
was fire. Whether with anger or pride, Vance could not tell. But he began
to worry.