you as old as that, son? You go back home and don't bother me no more.
I'll come back in five years and see if you're still in the same mind!'

"And that was what I seen of Jack Hollis.

"I went back into town--Garrison City. I slept over the stables the rest
of that night. The next day I loafed around town not hardly noways
knowing what I was going to do.

"Then I was loafing around with my rifle, like I was going out on a
hunting trip that afternoon. And pretty soon I heard a lot of noise
coming down the street, guns and what not. I look out the window and
there comes Jack Hollis, hellbent! Jack Hollis! And then it pops into my
head that they was a big price, for them days, on Jack's head. I picked
up my gun and eased it over the sill of the window and got a good bead.

"Jack turned in his saddle--"

There was a faint groan from Elizabeth Cornish. All eyes focused on her
in amazement. She mustered a smile. The story went on.

"When Jack turned to blaze away at them that was piling out around the
corner of the street, I let the gun go, and I drilled him clean. Great
sensation, gents, to have a life under your trigger. Just beckon one mite
of an inch and a life goes scooting up to heaven or down to hell. I never
got over seeing Hollis spill sidewise out of that saddle. There he was a
minute before better'n any five men when it come to fighting. And now he
wasn't nothing but a lot of trouble to bury. Just so many pounds of
flesh. You see? Well, sir, the price on Black Jack set me up in life and
gimme my start. After that I sort of specialized in manhunting, and I've