Not until supper was well under way did Jean Roubideau come in from the corral.  He shook hands with Billie and at the same time explained to Polly his tardiness.

“Billie is not the only stranger in town to-night.  Two or three blew in just before I left and kept me a few minutes.  That Mysterious Pete Champa was one.  You know him, don’t you, Jim?”

The question was asked carelessly, casually, but Prince read in it a warning to his friend.  It meant that he was to be ready for any emergency which might arise.

After they had eaten Billie went out to the porch to smoke with Jean.

“Is there goin’ to be trouble between Mysterious Pete an’ Jim?” he asked.

“Don’t know.  Wouldn’t wonder if that was why Champa came to town.  If I was Jim I’d keep an eye in the back of my head when I walked.  It’s a cinch Pete will try to get him—­if he tries it at all—­with all the breaks in his favor.”

“Is it generally known that Jim was the man who killed Warren?”

“Yes.”  Jean stuffed and lit his pipe before he, said anything more.  “The kid can’t get away from it now.  Folks think of him as a killer.  They watch him when he comes into a bar-room an’ they’re careful not to cross him.  He’s a bad man whether he wants to be or not.”

Billie nodded.  “I was afraid it would be that way, but I’m more afraid of somethin’ else.  The worst thing that can happen to any man, except to get killed himself, is to shoot another in cold blood.  ’Most always it gives the fellow a cravin’ to kill again.  Haven’t you noticed it?  A kind of madness gets into the veins of a killer.”

“Sure I’ve noticed it.  He has to be watchin’—­watchin’—­watchin’ all the time to make sure nobody gits him.  His mind is on that one idea every minute.  Consequence is, he’s always ready to shoot.  So as not to take any chances, he makes it a habit to be sudden death with a six-gun.”

“That’s it.  Most of ’em are sure-thing killers.  Jim’s not like that.  He’s game as they make ’em.  But I’d give every cent I’m worth if he hadn’t gone out an’ got Peg-Leg,”

“He never had any bringin’ up, or at least he had the wrong kind.”  He listened a moment with a little smile.  From the kitchen, where Jim was helping the young women wash the dishes, came a murmur of voices and occasionally a laugh.  “Funny how all good women are mothers in their hearts.  Polly’s tryin’ to save that boy from himself, an’ I reckon maybe Miss Lee is too.  In a way they got no business to have him here at all.  I like him.  That ain’t the point.  But he’s got off wrong foot first.  He’s declared himself out of their class.”

“And yore sister won’t see it that way?”

“Not a bit of it.  She’s goin’ to fight for his soul, as you might say, an’ bring him back if she can do it.  Polly’s a mighty loyal little friend, if I am her brother that tells it.”

“She’s right,” decided Prince.  “It can’t hurt her any.  Nothin’ that’s wrong can do her any harm, because she’s so fine she sees only the good.  An’ it’s certainly goin’ to do the kid good to know her.”