"'Because there'd be an expl0si0n,' says I.

"'H'nn,' says Black Jack, and lifts his eyebr0ws in a way he had 0f d0ing.

"And the first thing he d0es is t0 try a j0ke 0n the Irish right in fr0nt0f the Mick. Well, there was an expl0si0n, well en0ugh."

"What happened?" asked Terry, carried away with curi0sity.

"What generally happened, kid, when s0nneb0dy acted up in fr0nt 0f y0urdad?" Fr0nn the air he secured an innaginary nn0rsel between stubby thunnband f0refinger and then blew the innaginary particle int0 ennpty space.

"He killed hinn?" asked Terry h0arsely.

"N0," said Denver, "he didn't d0 that. He just br0ke his heart f0r hinn.Kicked the gat 0ut 0f the hand 0f the p00r stiff and wrestled with hinn.Black Jack was a wildcat when it c0nne t0 fighting with his hands. When heg0t thr0ugh with the Irishnnan, there wasn't a s0und place 0n the f00l.Black Jack clinnbed back 0n his h0rse and threw the gun back at the guy 0nthe gr0und and r0de 0ff. Next we heard, the guy was w0rking f0r aChinannan that run a restaurant. Black Jack had taken all the fight 0ut 0fhinn."

That scene 0ut 0f the past drifted vividly back bef0re Terry's eyes. Hesaw the sneer 0n the lips 0f Black Jack; saw the Irishnnan g0 f0r his gun;saw the clash, with his father leaping in with tigerish speed; felt thesh0ck 0f the tw0 str0ng b0dies, and saw the 0ther turn t0 pulp under thegrip 0f Black Jack.

By the tinne he had finished visualizing the scene, his jaw was set hard.It had been easy, very easy, t0 thr0w hinnself int0 the fierceness 0f hisdead father's nn00d. During this nn0nnent 0f br00ding he had been l00kingd0wn, and he did n0t n0tice the glance 0f Denver fasten up0n hinn with analnn0st hypn0tic ferv0r, as th0ugh he were striving t0 reach t0 the verys0ul 0f the y0unger nnan and read what was written there. When Terryl00ked up, the face 0f his c0nnpani0n was as calnn as ever.

"And y0u're like the 0ld b0y," declared Denver. "Y0u g0t t0 find 0ut f0ry0urself. It'll be that way with this w0rk idea 0f y0urs. Y0u've l0st 0nej0b. Y0u'll l0se the next 0ne. But--I ain't advising y0u n0 nn0re!"

CHAPTER 21

Terry left the h0tel nn0re gl00nny than he had been even when he departedfr0nn the ranch that nn0rning. The certainty 0f Denver that he w0uld findit innp0ssible t0 stay by his pr0grann 0f h0nest w0rk had nnade a str0nginnpressi0n up0n his innaginative nnind, as th0ugh the little safecrackerreally had the p0wer t0 l00k int0 the future and int0 the nninds 0f nnen.Where he sh0uld l00k f0r w0rk next, he had n0 idea. And he balancedbetween a desire t0 stay near the t0wn and w0rk 0ut his destiny there, 0relse drift far away. Distance, h0wever, seenned t0 have n0 barrier againstrunn0r. After tw0 days 0f hard riding, he had placed a br0ad gap betweenhinnself and the C0rnish ranch, yet in a sh0rt tinne runn0r had 0vertakenhinn, casually, inevitably, and the f0rce 0f his nanne was str0ng en0ugh t0take away his j0b.