"No," he said simply. "But he told me--" "Who is it?" he insisted. "No--if you don't know his name, I won't tell you," decided Polly. "Mebbe it's jest as well, too," assented Slim. "I don't think I'd feel any too friendly toward him." Slim moved toward the wagon. The action was purely involuntary, but it frightened Polly so that she cried aloud. Slim grasped at once the reason for her fear. "Is the feller in that wagon?" he shouted. "You wouldn't do him any harm, would you?" cried Polly. "Is he in that wagon?" Slim repeated angrily. Polly caught hold of his arm. "What's he hiding for?" he demanded. Slim pulled his gun and covered the opening. "Come out, you coward," he shouted. Polly caught Slim by the right wrist, so he could not fire. Bud leaped from the wagon, drawing his gun as he did so. "You sha'n't call me a coward," he shouted to Slim. Polly ran behind Bud, and, reaching her arms about his waist, held down his hands, depressing the muzzle of his revolver. Slim danced up and down in the excitement with his revolver in his hand. Polly kept calling on both of the men not to shoot. "Let him alone," shouted Slim excitedly. "Let him alone, Miss Polly. He's only four-flushin', and I ain't gun shy." "Now, look a yeah, sonny," he cried to Bud, "if that squirt-gun of yours goes off an' hits me, an' I find it out--well, I reckon I'll have to spank you." Bud tried to break away from Polly, begging her to "Let go." The girl laid her hands on his shoulder, gazing pleadingly into his flushed face. "Don't, don't," she cried; "it's all right. Slim knows all about it. He knows I love you, and he wouldn't hurt any one that I love, would you, Slim?" Polly smiled at the Sheriff, completely disarming him. Shoving his gun back into the holster, Slim grinned, and said: "I reckon I wouldn't." "We've been engaged forever so long now, waitin' for Bud to get rich, and now--and now it's come." Her face radiated her happiness. Bud showed his alarm, motioning her to be silent, but Polly rattled on: "Bud's been saving and saving, 'till he's got over a thousand dollars and--" Slim could not contain his indignation at the deception practised by the boy. "You derned thief," he shouted. Then he plainly showing his annoyance at his lack of repression. Bud's hand dropped to his gun. "You--" he began, but Polly stopped him with a gesture, looking from one to the other of the men, dazed and frightened. "A thief. Bud a thief? What does it mean? Tell me," she gasped. Turning to Bud, she demanded: "Bud, you heard what he said?" Dropping his head, fearing to look at either of them, he muttered sullenly: "He lied." Slim checked his first betrayal of his anger and kept himself well in hand. "Oh, Slim," pleaded Polly, "say you didn't mean it." Simply and sadly Slim answered: "I didn't. I reckon as how I'm some jealous, an'--an'--I lied." His voice dropped, and he turned aside, stepping away from the young couple.