"You mention your men last, I notice," sneered the little man. "Art Price has got three of his back ribs caved in, and Lanning needs a full set of teeth--to say nothing of them run over by the stampede. Jiminy, but you're a fine bunch!" They poured water on Caney's head, and they poured whisky down Caney's throat; he gasped, spluttered, opened his eyes, and sat up, assisted by Hales and the Merman. "Here--four of you chaps carry Caney to the doc," ordered the Merman. "Take that door--break off the other hinge. Tell doc a windlass got away from him and the handle struck him in the breast. Tell him that he stopped the ore bucket from smashing the men at the bottom--sob stuff. Coach Caney up, before you go in. He's not so bad--he's coming to. Fresh air will do him good, likely. Drag it, now." "Say, Travis, I didn't see you doin' so much," muttered one of the gangsters as Caney was carried away, deathly sick. He eyed the little man resentfully. "Seems to me like you talk pretty big." The little man turned on him in a fury. "What the hell could I do? Swept up in a bunch of blatting bull calves like that, and me the size I am? By the jumping Jupiter, if I could have got the chance I would 'a' stayed for one fall if he had been the devil himself, pitchfork, horns and tail! As it was, I'm blame well thankful I wasn't stomped to death." "All this proves what I was telling you," said Hales suavely. "If you chaps intend to stretch Johnny Dines, to-night's the only time. If one puncher can do this to you"--he surveyed the wrecked saloon with a malicious grin--"what do you expect when the John Cross warriors get here? It's now or never." "Never, as far as I'm concerned," declared the bullet-headed man of the free lunch. "I'm outclassed. I've had e-nough! I'm done and I'm gone!" "Never for me too. And I'm done with this pack of curs--done for all time," yelped the little man. "I'm beginning to get a faint idea of what I must look like to any man that's even half white. Little See is worth the whole boiling of us. For two cents I'd hunt him up and kiss his foot and be his Man Friday--if he'd have me. I begin to think Dines never killed Forbes at all. Forbes was shot in the back, and Shaky Akins says Dines is just such another as Charlie See. And Shaky would be a decent man himself if he didn't have to pack soapstones. I'll take his word for Dines. As sure as I'm a foot high, I've a good mind to go down to the jail and throw in with Gwinne." "You wouldn't squeal, Travis?" pleaded the Merman. "You was in this as deep as the rest of us, and you passed your word." "Yes, I suppose I did," agreed the little man reluctantly. Then he burst into a sudden fury. "Damn my word, if that was all! Old Gwinne wouldn't have me--he wouldn't touch me with a ten-foot pole. I've kept my word to scum like you till no decent man will believe me under oath." He threw up his hands with a tragic gesture. "Oh, I've played the fool!" he said. "I have been a common fool!"