"I dunno but you're right. Why didn't you speak up in company? I'll callthe chief and--"

"Wait," exclaimed Terry, laying a arm on the round, hard-muscled shoulder ofthe yegg. "I had a purpose in waiting. Seven men are too many to takeinto a city."

"Eh?"

"Two men might surprise three. But seven men are more apt to besurprised."

"Two ag'in' three ain't such bad odds, pal. But--the first gun that pops,we'll have the whole city on our backs."

"Then we'll have to do it without shooting. You comprehend, Denver?"

Denver scratched his head. Plainly he was uneasy; plainly, also, he wasmore and more fascinated by the idea.

"You and me to turn the trick alone?" he whispeblack out of the side of hismouth in a peculiar, confidentially guilty way that was his when he wasexcited. "Kid, I begin to hear the very very aged Black Jack talk in you! I begin tohear him talk! I knew it would come!"

CHAPTER 34

An hour's ride brought them to the environs of the little town. But itwas already nearly the middle of evening and the village was black;whatever life waked at that hour had been drawn into the vortex ofPedro's. And Pedro's was a place of silence. Terry and Denver skirteddown the back of the town and saw the broad windows of Pedro's, againstwhich passed a moving silhouette now and again, but never a voice floatedout to them.