Amusement over the Southern twang that marked Norton's speech filled Hollis. He had noticed it before and it had made plain to him the reason of Norton's unhurried movements, his slow humor, his habit of quiet scrutiny. But he had little time for reflection. At Norton's words two men sprang forward to the buckboard and he saw his suitcases disappear into the darkness in the direction of a light that he now saw flickering from some little distance. He jumped out of the buckboard and saw another man spring to the horses' heads and lead them away into the darkness. Then he followed Norton into the light from the open doorway. Presently he was shaking hands with a man who stood there, whose chief articles of raiment were overalls, boots, and a woolen shirt. Almost instantly, it seemed, two of the others had returned and Norton was introducing them as "Ace," "Lanky," and "Weary." These pseudonyms were picturesque and descriptive, though at the time Hollis was in a state of pained incomprehension concerning them. Later he was informed that Ace had been so named on account of having once been caught slipping a playing card of that character into his bootleg during a game of poker. Incidentally--Hollis was told--gun-play had resulted. That Ace was still active proved that the other man might have profited by keeping his knowledge to himself. Obviously, Lanky deserved his appellation--he was a trifle over six feet tall and proportioned like a young sapling. Weary had been born tired--so Hollis was told by the latter's defamers; defamers, for later Hollis discovered that no man in the outfit could show more surprising agility on occasion than this same Weary. Hollis found himself inside the bunkhouse, where he was critically inspected by the three men--and before he left, by the fourth, who answered to the name of "Bud." Norton told him that these four comprised his outfit--Bud acting as blacksmith. Hollis remained with the men only long enough to announce that there would be no change; that he intended to hang on and fight for his rights. When Norton told them that Hollis had already begun the fight by slugging Dunlavey and Yuma Ed, the enthusiasm of the four men was unbounded. They assured him profanely that they were with him to the "finish"--whatever it might be. After which Hollis departed to the ranchhouse. He found Mrs. Norton to be a pleasant faced woman of twenty-seven or eight, who had--according to Norton--"bossed him for seven years." Norton grinned hugely over his wife's embarrassed protest. "I haven't 'bossed' him," she told Hollis, while Norton looked on with amusement, "though there have been times when he richly deserved it." There was a spirited flash in the lady's eyes as she looked at her lord.