“What has that to do with us?” demanded Ned, sternly.  “I opine ye’d better spread, some of you, if you don’t want me to run a canyon through your midst.  Preach to some other pilgrim than me; I’m in a hurry!”

“Haw! haw!  Yas, I obsarve ye be; but if ye’re my meat, an’ I think prob’ble ye be, I ain’t a-goin’ fer ter let yer off so nice and easy.  P’arps ye kin tell who fired the popgun, a minnit ago, w’at basted my ole pard?”

“I shall not take trouble to tell!” replied Ned, fingering the trigger of his left six uneasily.  “Ef you want to know who salted Chet Diamond, the worst blackleg, trickster and card-player in Dakota, all you’ve got to do is to go and ask him!”

“Hold!” cried Harry Redburn, stepping out from behind Harris; “I’ll hide behind no man’s shoulder. I salted the gambler—­if you call shooting salting—­and I’m not afraid to repeat the action by salting a dozen more just of his particular style.”

Ned Harris was surprised.

He had set Redburn down as a faint-hearted, dubious-couraged counter-jumper from the East; he saw now that there was something of him, after all.

“Come on, young man!” and the young miner stepped forward a pace; “are you with me?”

“To the ears!” replied Harris, grimly.

The next instant the twain leaped forward and broke the barrier, and mid the crack of pistol-shots and shouts of rage, they cleared the saloon.  Once outside, Ned Harris led the way.

“Come along!” he said, dodging along the shadowy side of the street; “we’ll have to scratch gravel, for them up-range ‘toughs’ will follow us, I reckon.  They’re a game gang, and ’hain’t the most desirable kind of enemies one could wish for.  I’ll take you over to my coop, and you can lay low there until this jamboree blows over.  You’ll have to promise me one thing, however, ere I can admit you as a member of my household.”

“Certainly.  What is it?” and Harry Redburn redoubled his efforts in order to keep alongside his swift-footed guide.

“Promise me that you will divulge nothing, no matter what you may see or hear.  Also that, should you fall in love with one who is a member of my family, you will forbear and not speak of love to her.”

“It is a woman, then?”

“Yes—­a young lady.”

“I will promise;—­how can I afford to do otherwise, under the existing circumstances.  But, tell me, why did you force me to shoot that gambler?”

“He was a rascal, and cheated you.”

“I know; but I did not want his life; I am averse to bloodshed.”

“So I perceived, and that made me all the more determined you should salivate him.  You’ll find before you’re in the Hills long that it won’t do to take lip or lead from any one.  A green pilgrim is the first to get salted; I illustrated how to serve ’em!”

Redburn’s eyes sparkled.  He was just beginning to see into the different phases of this wild exciting life.