But now I heard a voice that drew my eyes to the far corner of the room. “Why didn’t you stay in Arizona?” Harmless looking words as I write them down here. Yet at the sound of them I noticed the eyes of the others directed to that corner. What answer was given to them I did not hear, nor did I see who spoke. Then came another remark. “Well, Arizona’s no place for amatures.” This time the two card dealers that I stood near began to give a part of their attention to the group that sat in the corner. There was in me a desire to leave this room. So far my hours at Medicine Bow had seemed to glide beneath a sunshine of merriment, of easy-going jocularity. This was suddenly gone, like the wind changing to north in the middle of a warm day. But I stayed, being ashamed to go. Five or six players sat over in the corner at a round table where counters were piled. Their eyes were close upon their cards, and one seemed to be dealing a card at a time to each, with pauses and betting between. Steve was there and the Virginian; the others were new faces. “No place for amatures,” repeated the voice; and now I saw that it was the dealer’s. There was in his countenance the same ugliness that his words conveyed. “Who’s that talkin’?” said one of the men near me, in a low voice. “Trampas.” “What’s he?” “Cow-puncher, bronco-buster, tin-horn, most anything.” “Who’s he talkin’ at?” “Think it’s the black-headed guy he’s talking at.” “That ain’t supposed to be safe, is it?” “Guess we’re all goin’ to find out in a few minutes.” “Been trouble between ’em?” “They’ve not met before. Trampas don’t enjoy losin’ to a stranger.” “Fello’s from Arizona, yu’ say?” “No. Virginia. He’s recently back from havin’ a look at Arizona. Went down there last year for a change. Works for the Sunk Creek outfit.” And then the dealer lowered his voice still further and said something in the other man’s ear, causing him to grin. After which both of them looked at me. There had been silence over in the corner; but now the man Trampas spoke again. “AND ten,” said he, sliding out some chips from before him. Very strange it was to hear him, how he contrived to make those words a personal taunt. The Virginian was looking at his cards. He might have been deaf. “AND twenty,” said the next player, easily. The next threw his cards down. It was now the Virginian’s turn to bet, or leave the game, and he did not speak at once. Therefore Trampas spoke. “Your bet, you son-of-a--.” The Virginian’s pistol came out, and his hand lay on the table, holding it unaimed. And with a voice as gentle as ever, the voice that sounded almost like a caress, but drawling a very little more than usual, so that there was almost a space between each word, he issued his orders to the man Trampas: “When you call me that, SMILE.” And he looked at Trampas across the table.