He caught a sign from a man seated at a table and went over to him with a bottle and a glass. While Blacky was engaged in this task the door opened and Dakota came in. Moulin's admiration and friendship for Dakota might have impelled him to warn Dakota of the presence of Blanca, and he did hold up a covert finger, but Dakota at that moment was looking in another direction and did not observe the signal. He continued to approach the bar and Blacky, having a leisure moment, came forward and stood ready to serve him. A short nod of greeting passed between the three, and Blacky placed a bottle on the bar and reached for a glass. Dakota made a negative sign with his head--short and resolute. "I'm in for supplies," he laughed, "but not that." "Not drinkin'?" queried Moulin. "I'm pure as the driven snow," drawled Dakota. "How long has that been goin' on?" Moulin's grin was skeptical. "A month." Moulin looked searchingly at Dakota, saw that he was in earnest, and suddenly reached a hand over the bar. "Shake!" he said. "I hate to knock my own business, an' you've been a pretty good customer, but if you mean it, it's the most sensible thing you ever done. Of course you didn't hit it regular, but there's been times when I've thought that if I could have three or four customers like you I'd retire in a year an' spend the rest of my life countin' my dust!" He was suddenly serious, catching Dakota's gaze and winking expressively. "Friend of yourn here," he said. Dakota took a flashing glance at the men at the card tables and Moulin saw his lips straighten and harden. But in the next instant he was smiling gravely at the proprietor. "Thanks, Pete," he said quietly. "But you're some reckless with the English language when you're calling him my friend. Maybe he'll be proving that he didn't mean to skin me on that deal." He smiled again and then left the bar and strode toward Blanca. The latter continued his card playing, apparently unaware of Dakota's approach, but at the sound of his former victim's voice he turned and looked up slowly, his face wearing a bland smile. It was plain to Moulin that Blanca had known all along of Dakota's presence in the saloon--perhaps he had seen him enter. The other card players ceased playing and leaned back in their chairs, watching, for some of them knew something of the calf deal, and there was that in Dakota's greeting to Blanca which warned them of impending trouble. "Blanca," said Dakota quietly, "you can pay for those calves now." It pleased Blanca to dissemble. But it was plain to Moulin--as it must have been plain to everybody who watched Blanca--that a shadow crossed his face at Dakota's words. Evidently he had entertained a hope that his duplicity had not been discovered.