I won't never forget. Aye, a handsome scoundrel, that Hollis!"

Elizabeth Cornish sank back in her chair and covered her eyes with her
hands for a moment. To the others it seemed that she was merely rubbing
weary eyes. But her brother knew perfectly that she was near to fainting.

He looked at Terry and saw that the boy was following the tale with
sparkling eyes.

"I like what you say about this Hollis, sheriff," he ventured softly.

"Do you? Well, so did I like what I seen of him that night, for all I
knew that he was a no-good, man-killing, heartless sort. I told him right
off that I wanted to join him. I even up and give him an exhibition of
shooting.

"What do you think he says to me? 'You go home to your ma, young man!'

"That's what he said.

"'I ain't a baby,' says I to Jack Hollis. 'I'm a grown man. I'm ready to
fight your way.'

"'Any fool can fight,' says Jack Hollis. 'But a gent with any sense don't
have to fight. You can lay to that, son!'

"'Don't call me son,' says I. 'I'm older than you was when you started
out.'

"I'd had my heart busted before I started,' says Jack Hollis to me. 'Are