It was plain that Lawless had been spending money freely for liquor. The men who listened to him were in an amiable and receptive mood. While he indulged in his particularly bold talk, roars of approval, such as the scout and Dell had heard at the edge of camp, went up again and again.
A roar, louder than any of the rest, greeted the finish of Lawless’ remarks. It was this noise, more like Bedlam turned loose than anything else, that drowned the warning shout of the man behind the bar. The barkeeper realized that Lawless was going too far in the presence of a stranger. It was not the barkeeper’s shout that drew the outlaw’s attention to Buffalo Bill, but the sudden quiet that fell over the rowdies to whom he had been talking.
These men, all of them with vicious faces, had suddenly become aware of the scout’s presence. Lawless, observing the direction of their glances, whirled about.
At sight of the scout, leaning unconcernedly back against the bar, the outlaw’s face went blank. He recoiled a step, staring as though he could scarcely believe his eyes.
The next moment, apparently assuring himself that he was not dreaming, he cried out an oath and jerked a revolver from his sash.
Silence had fallen over the room. The ruffians spread out, some of them, it seemed likely, for the purpose of helping Captain Lawless, and others with the intention of bolting, or dodging under the tables, in case bullets began to fly.
“Don’t shoot,” said the scout, transfixing Lawless with a steady glance.
He made no move to draw his own revolvers. When he got ready to draw, he would do it so quickly that the movement would be imperceptible.
Lawless, bent on making a show of himself for the benefit of possible recruits, did not make an attempt to use the revolver he had drawn.
“Well, now,” said he, “if here isn’t Buffalo Bill, the great and only W. F. Cody, flash-light warrior and so-called king of scouts! Why”—and Lawless turned a mocking glance into the faces of the men behind him—“he blows right into Pima as though he belonged here. I wonder if he knows he’s off his beat?”