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 racks.

Near him on the porch there was the usual Saturday night pile of saddles; he looked over as many as were exposed to examination, finding none that he knew. The poet concluded that they had picked on a poor night for collecting their debt from Findlay and Glass. He turned to rejoin his partners in the office, to find Glass facing him at the other end of the porch, not more than twenty feet between them.

Glass was alone. Whether he had been creeping up from some back way to spy out their numbers, or whether he had been sitting on the steps all the time and had got to his feet only that moment, Grubb did not know. But there he stood, and as Fred waited a moment to gather his intentions, he started to pull his gun.

Grubb's shot brought Barrett and Dan to the door on the jump. Fred had cut loose with both barrels, not a second's interval between. The roar of his big-bore gun startled the dozing horses; they were trampling and snorting in great confusion and dust when Barrett and Dan made their spectacular entry upon what was truly the stage of action.

"What the devil?" Dan asked, bringing up suddenly, gun in his hand, puzzled for an answer.

"I got him, damn him!" Fred cut in, the breech of his gun open, fresh cartridges in his fingers.

"Who? Where's he at?"

Dan peered around as he asked, unmindful of the fact that they stood in the light of the door.

"Down there," Fred pointed.