"Look here, Jenison, I might have been a good man if it hadn't been for Bob Grand. I always would have been a showman, I reckon, but I'd have been fairly self-respecting. Today, instead of being what I am, I'd still have the love of my wife, the respect of my girl, and--oh, well, you can't understand. You all are against me--and have been for years. I don't blame you--not a bit of it. I deserve it. Grand deliberately set out to ruin me--to pull me down. You know why. We won't go into that. I happen to know he afterwards paid her a lot of money for her interest in the business. When she tells me it was a square transaction I'll believe it, but not before." He paced the floor, his hands in his coat pockets, his brows drawn down in a thoughtful scowl. "You can stop me, I suppose, by having me locked up--but you can't keep me there forever. I'll get out some time. I don't say I'm going to shoot Bob Grand. I want you all to bear witness to this statement: whatever I do to him will be with these two hands. See 'em? Don't they look competent? He didn't use weapons on me, and I'm not going to use 'em on him. It's just a case of who has the best hands in this little game." "Why, man, it would be cowardly in you to put your strength against his. You could crush him," groaned David. Braddock smiled, almost joyously. "Won't it be a pretty sight? My hands on that fat neck of his! Ha!" "And the 'angman's rope on that neck of yours," put in Joey, wiping his moist forehead. "That's not the point," said Thomas Braddock. He picked up his hat, which he had cast upon a chair, and, without another word to either of them--no word of thanks to Ruby, no word of appreciation to David, no word of gratitude to Joey--he strode out into the hall, through the door and down the steps. They sat still looking at each other for a long time. "He can't do it to-day," said Joey in hushed tones. "The man's still out o' town." CHAPTER IV THE DELIVERY OF A TELEGRAM On David's return to the hotel he found a hastily scrawled note from Artful Dick Cronk. He had remained at the Noakes' until mid-afternoon, discussing the sinister attitude of Thomas Braddock. Joey stubbornly maintained that it was worse than useless to have the man locked up; it would merely delay the consummation of his purpose, and it would add fuel to the fierce flames that already were consuming his brain. He was for temporizing methods, attended by shrewd efforts to keep the enemies apart. It was his opinion that Braddock would listen to reason before many days. Certainly there could be no immediate danger with Grand out of the city. Jenison at last came to his way of thinking, although not without a twinge of misgiving. He had no respect, no sympathy for Braddock. It was his firm opinion that the man had in no way reformed; that he was as bad, if not worse, than ever, for now he was himself and not crazed by drink.