The tall man turned quickly. “Shut up, Red! Reckon I can emanate all the elocution necessary for this here occasion.” He turned again to the stranger. “Just a minute with that baggage, sonny, while I gives you a hint or two regardin’ your future behavior in this here town. Them remarks you was uncautious enough to drop ain’t considered courchus an’ proper in polite s’ciety in Ramapo. We usually relieves our feelin’s by applyin’ gunpowder an’ lead to the offender an’ turnin’ him over to the undertakin’ Oscar for treatment. But o’ course ’tain’t reasonable to expect a newcomer to git to know us an’ all our little customs all to once. So we’ll overlook them little violations of etikett. Howsever, as spokesman an’ representative o’ this here unnoble metropolis, I begs to state as how we takes sort o’ natcherl to entertainment, an’ al’ays displays a brotherly interest in the accomplishments of our new citizens. We has a hankerin’, therefore, to see what you can do. Next to drinkin’, dancin’ is our fav’rite sport an’ recreation. S’pose you gives us some idear o’ your abilities along that line, Curly. Better begin now.” As he finished speaking, he lowered the muzzle of his revolver, and one after another the bullets cracked around the newcomer’s toes, sending spurts of dust over his boots. But the young fellow did not move. He stood coolly eying the man before him. When the six chambers were empty, the miner angrily drew his other pistol. Before he had time to fire a single cartridge, however, something happened. The stranger leaped forward like a spring suddenly released. His right hand shot out and struck the revolver from the miner’s fingers, and his left, knotted into a solid ball of bone and sinew, flashed straight from the shoulder, collided firmly, but quite ungently, with that individual’s unimposing physiognomy, and hurled him sprawling into the dust. For an instant the miner lay where he had fallen; then, with a roar of rage, he started to scramble to his feet. He found himself, however, looking past the businesslike bore of his own weapon into two very cool but earnest gray eyes. Discretion hinted that it would be best to retain a sitting posture for the time being. “Keep your hands away from your guns, boys,” the stranger was remarking. “It would be embarrassing to have to shoot such new acquaintances! As for you, you emaciated rum-hound, dancing is an excellent recreation, as you say, but unfortunately I enjoy it only when I do it to amuse myself. Now, listen—I’m not in the habit of repeating! My intentions in this place are perfectly peaceful; and I didn’t come here to start trouble. But if you feel any inclination to begin it. I’ll hold up my end. I’m pretty generous with it, when I get going. It would be best for your health, therefore, not to waste more of your valuable lead or time on me. Try to remember that, friend, and I have no doubt we’ll get along splendidly.”