They passed out of the bar together. At the hotel, Mary and Louise were already seated at the table in the dining-room where the little party usually sat together when it was possible to do so. Judge Dale had not yet arrived. The landlady was in a worried dispute with Red Sanderson and a companion. The men were evidently cronies. They had their eyes on two of the three vacant places at the table.
“But I tell you these places are taken,” persisted the landlady, who served as head-waitress when such services were necessary, which was not often. Her patrons usually took and held possession of things at their own sweet will.
“You bet they are,” chimed in Red, deliberately pulling out a chair next to Louise, who shivered in recognition.
“Please—” she began, in a small voice, but got no farther. Something in his bold, admiring stare choked her into silence.
“You’re a mighty pretty girl, if you are a trottin’ round with the Three Bars,” he grinned. “Plenty time to change your live—”
“Just move on, will you,” said Gordon, curtly, coming up at that moment with Langford and shoving him aside with unceremonious brevity. “This is my place.” He sat down quietly.
“You damned upstart,” blustered Sanderson. “Want a little pistol play, do you?”
“Gentlemen! gentlemen!” implored the landlady.
“I’m not entering any objection,” said Gordon, coolly. “Just shoot—why don’t you? You have the drop on me.”
For a moment it looked as if Sanderson would take him at his word and meet this taunt with instant death for the sender of it, so black was his anger. But encountering Langford’s level gaze, he read something therein, shrugged his shoulders, replaced his pistol, and sauntered off with his companion just as Judge Dale came upon the scene. Langford glanced quickly across the table at Mary. Her eyes were wide with startled horror. She, too, had seen. Just above Red Sanderson’s temple and extending from the forehead up into the hair was an ugly scar—not like that left by a cut, but as if the flesh might have been deeply bruised by some blunt weapon.