"I don't savvy your game, sports," he said with the same cool insolence.
"But if you want me to play just go ahead and deal me a hand."
To the last man of them they looked at him and hesitated. It was written
in large bold script upon the faces of them that the girl's thought was
their thought. And yet, though there were upward a dozen of them and
though Poke Drury's firelight flickered on several gun barrels and
though here were men who were not cowards and who did not lack
initiative, to the last man of them they hesitated. As his glance sped
here and there it seemed to stab at them like a knife blade. He
challenged them and stood quietly waiting for the first move. And the
girl by the fire knew almost from the first that no hostile move was
forthcoming. And she knew further that had a man there lifted his hand
Buck Thornton's promise would have been kept and he'd show them a dead
man in ten seconds.
"Suppose," said Thornton suddenly, "you explain. Poke Drury, this being
your shack.... What's the play?"
Drury moistened his lips. But it was Hap Smith who spoke up.
"I've knowed you some time, Buck," he said bluntly. "An' I never knowed
you to go wrong. But ... Well, not an hour ago a man your build an' size
an' with a bandana across his face stuck this place up.
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