Racey Dawson gazed dumbly down at the muzzle of his sixshooter from which a slim curl of gray smoke spiralled lazily upward.

Racey lowered a cautious hand and loosened his sixshooter in its holster.

He stepped forward and kicked the burly youth's discarded sixshooter into the middle of the street.

"No," said Racey with decision, aiming his sixshooter at the word.

Jack Harpe jackknifed his long body out of his chair, which was placed directly in front of an open doorway giving into an inner room, crossed the floor, and placed his sixshooter on the mantel-piece.

Once out of sight of the house of McFluke, Chuck sheathed his sixshooter with a jerk and returned Racey's gun.