She was used to frank admiration, but this unembarrassed courtesy was a new world to her.

She was still smiling when she turned to Morgan.
"You told my father the boys wouldn't wear guns today." He was somewhat confused.
"They seem to be wearin' them," he said weakly, and his eyes wandered about the armed circle, pausing on the ominous forms of Hal Purvis, Bill Kilduff, and especially Jim Silent, a head taller than the rest.
He stood somewhat in the background, but the slight sneer with which he watched Whistling Dan dominated the entire picture.
"As a matter of fact," went on Morgan, "it would be a ten man job to take the guns away from this crew.

You can see for yourself." She glanced about the throng and started.

She had seen Dan.
"How did he come here ?" "Oh, Dan ?" said Morgan, "he's all right.

He just pulled one of the prettiest shootin' stunts I ever seen." "But he promised my father--" began Kate, and then stopped, flushing.
If her father was right in diagnosing Dan's character, this was the most critical day in his life, for there he stood surrounded by armed men.