She was in the midst of a struggle of some sort.

But she could not keep the truth from her tongue.
"Take it by and large," she said at length, "Brownsville is as peaceable as most; but just now, stranger, it's all set for a big bust." She turned heavily in her chair and glanced about the room.

Then she faced Daniels once more and cupped her hands about her mouth.

"Stranger," she said in a stage whisper, "Mac Strann is in town!" The eyes of Buck Daniels wandered.
"Don't you know him ?" she asked.
"Nope." "Never heard of him ?" "Nope." "Well," sighed the waitress, "you've had some luck in your life.

Take a cross between a bulldog and a mustang and a mountain-lion--that's Mac Strann.