Charming Billy opened his eyes slowly, but with every sense at the normal degree of alertness; which was a way he had, born of light sleeping and night-watching.  He had slept heavily, from the feel of his head, and he remembered the unwisdom of drinking four glasses of whisky and then changing irresponsibly to beer.  He had not undressed, it would seem, and he was lying across the middle of a bed with his spurred boots hanging over the edge.  A red comforter had been thrown across him, and he wondered why.  He looked around the room and discovered Mr. Dill seated in a large, cane rocker—­which was unquestionably not big enough for his huge person—­his feet upon another chair and his hands folded inertly on his drawn-up knees.  He was asleep, with his head lying against the chair-back and his face more melancholy than ever and more wistful.  His eyes, Billy observed, were deep-sunk and dark-ringed.  He sat up suddenly—­did Billy, and threw off the cover with some vehemence.  “Darn me for a drunken chump!” he exclaimed, and clanked over to the chair.

“Here, Dilly”—­to save the life of him he could not refrain from addressing him so—­“why in thunder didn’t yuh kick me awake, and make me get off your bed?  What did yuh let me do it for—­and you setting up all night—­oh, this is sure a hell of a note!”

Mr. Dill opened his eyes, stared blankly and came back from his dreaming.  “You were so—­so impatient when I tried to get you up,” he explained in a tired voice.  “And you had a way of laying your hands on your revolver when I insisted.  It seems you took me for a shepherd and were very unfriendly; so I thought it best to let you stay as you were, but I’m afraid you were not very comfortable.  One can rest so much better between sheets.  You would not,” he added plaintively, “even permit me to take your boots off for you.”

Charming Billy sat down upon the edge of the bed, all tousled as he was, and stared abstractedly at Mr. Dill.  Perhaps he had never before felt so utterly disgusted with himself, or realized so keenly his shortcomings.  Not even the girl had humbled him so completely as had this long, lank, sinfully grammatical man from Michigan.

“You’ve sure got me where I live, Dilly,” he said slowly and haltingly, feeling mechanically for the makings of a smoke.  “Charming Billy Boyle ain’t got a word to say for himself.  But if yuh ain’t plumb sick and disgusted with the spectacle I’ve made uh myself, yuh can count on me till hell’s a skating-rink.  I ain’t always thisaway.  I do have spells when I’m some lucid.”

It was not much, but such as it was it stood for his oath of allegiance.

Alexander P. Dill sat up straight, his long, bony fingers—­which Billy could still mentally see gripping the necks of those two in the saloon—­lying loosely upon the chair-arms.  “I hope you will not mention the matter again,” he said.  “I realize that this is not Michigan, and that the temptations are—­But we will not discuss it.  I shall be very grateful for your friendship, and—­”