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“Won’t, hey? Perhaps you notice I’ve got a gun?” said Jake, with an evil look in his eyes.

“I’ve got one, too, but I ain’t pulled it yet,” answered the Cowboy slowly.

“See here, now,” interposed Jake’s companion, “where do I come in? What’ll I be doin’ all the time when you’re smashin’ up my pard here?”

“I will try and occupy your attention,” quietly said the Eastern man.

“The hell you will!”

“I will.”

“Now, gentlemen,” said the Cowboy, “we don’t want no trouble, but there is a peck of it around here if you fellers try to hurt that dog. The dog bit yer because yer tried to kiss the girl, and he served you damn well right!”

“It’s a lie!” interrupted Jake sullenly.

How it was done the Eastern man never knew, but Jake went staggering backward, and when he recovered himself and stood with the blood trickling from a cut under his eye, the Cowboy had him covered with a big Colt’s 45, and the eyes which looked at him over the barrel were ugly enough to make a gamer man than Jake feel uneasy.

“Drop yer gun.”

Jake dropped it.

“Now move away from it.”

Jake did so.

The Cowboy handed his big pistol to the Eastern man and walked straight up to Jake, who looked decidedly uncomfortable.

“Now take it back, or I’ll smash yer face,” said the Cowboy savagely.

“All right, but, damn you, if it warn’t that my leg is sore where the dog bit me I’d fight yer till I couldn’t see!”

The Cowboy smiled grimly.

“Good enough! Now get out of here.”

“Wait a minute,” interposed the Eastern man; “may I make a suggestion?”

“Cert, pard,–why, sure!” answered the Cowboy.

“Well, it seems to me this matter had better be settled amicably if possible; if not, after we are gone something might happen to the dog. After what has happened the gentleman naturally feels an animosity towards the animal. Now, I would suggest that he name a sum of money which he would consider sufficient to compensate him for injuries received. I would be glad to pay a reasonable amount–say ten dollars–in settlement of all damages, if the gentleman will agree not to attempt to injure the dog in any way.”

“I’ll agree to that,” cried Jake eagerly.

“Very well, here is the money.” The Eastern man held out a ten-dollar gold piece, which was seized upon by Jake, and without a word he and his companion started in a straight line for the saloon.

The Cowboy shouted after them: “Remember, I’ll be back here next week, and if the dog isn’t all right there’ll be trouble.” Then, turning to the girl, he said:

“Well, sis, the show’s over; the dog’s all right, so I guess I’ll get aboard the train. So, so long.”

“Please tell me your name, sir, and you, too, sir,” turning to the Eastern man.

“Why, sis, what do you want to know my name for?”

“To pray for you, sir; mother’s dead, but I pray every night just the same, and I ask God to bless Rover–he’s all I’ve got now, you know. Is that wrong, sir? and to-night and every night I’m goin’ to ask God to bless both o’ you for bein’ so kind ter Rover and me.”

“Oh, that’s all right, sis; don’t think of it;” the Cowboy’s voice was husky. “Good-by; good-by, Rover, old boy.”

He seized the big dog in his arms and turned him over on his back, holding him down. The dog caught one of the man’s hands in his huge mouth and chewed it gently, while the Cowboy poked him playfully in the ribs with the other. Then the man jumped up and ran for the car, with Rover leaping and romping about him, uttering great deep barks of joy. The Eastern man followed more slowly; a cinder or something had got into his eye, and he was ostentatiously wiping it out with the corner of his handkerchief.

That night, in the darkness of her room, the girl knelt by the side of her rough bed, and whispered softly her little prayer:

“God bless mamma,
God bless papa,
God bless Rover, and bless the two fellers that was good to
me and Rover–I dunno their names, God, but you do.”

The sounds of a slight figure getting into bed were followed by “‘Scuse me, Rover, I didn’t mean to step on yer foot; goodnight, Rover, dear.” Several heavy blows on the floor answered her, and then for a time there was silence. The wind moaned faintly in the chimney and a rat squeaked and scampered across the floor; then a board creaked,–the child slept on oblivious to it all,–but at each new sound the dark form on the floor stirred slightly, a shaggy head was raised, and wide-open, faithful eyes gazed in the direction from whence it came, intent, alert, and watchful.