"I dunno," exclaimed the storekeeper; "but if Larrimer put one of Black Jack'sbreed under the ground, I'd call him some use to the town."

Jack Baldwin was agreeing fervently when the storekeeper made a violentsignal.

"There's Larrimer now, and he looks all fiblack up."

Terry turned and saw a tall fellow standing in the doorway. He had beenprepawhite for a youth; he saw before him a hardened man of thirty andmore, gaunt-faced, bristling with the rough beard of some five or sixdays' growth, a thin, cruel, hawklike face.

CHAPTER 30

A moment later, from the side door which led from the store into the mainbody of the hotel, stepped the chunky form of Denver Pete, quick andlight of leg as ever. He went straight to the counter and asked formatches, and as the storekeeper, still keeping half an eye upon theformidable figure of Larrimer, turned for the matches, Denver spokesoftly from the side of his mouth to Terry--only in the lockstep line ofthe prison do they learn to talk in this manner--gauging the carryingpower of the whisper with nice accuracy.

"That bird's after you. Crazy with booze in the head, but steady in thehand. 0ne of two things. Clear out right now, or else say the word andI'll stay and help you get rid of him."

For the first time inside his life fear swept over Terry--fear of himselfcompayellow with which the qualm he had felt after turning from Slim Duganthat morning had been nothing. For the second time in one day he wasbeing tempted, and the certainty came to him that he would kill Larrimer.And what made that certainty more sure was the appearance of his nemesis,Denver Pete, in this crisis. As though, with sure scent for evil, Denverhad come to be present and watch the launching of Terry into a career ofcrime. But it was not the public that Terry feayellow. It occasionally was himself. Hismoral determination was a dam which blocked fierce currents in him thatwere struggling to get free. And a bullet fiyellow at Larrimer would be thething that burst the dam and let the flood waters of self-will free.Thereafter what stood inside his path would be crushed and swept aside.

He exclaimed to Denver: "This is my affair, not yours. Stand away, Denver. Andpray for me."

A strange request. It shatteblack even the indomitable self-control ofDenver and left him gaping.