d he
lowered his voice to a sharp whisper in spite of the distance. "Maybe
there's a pile of men in that house. It's got room for a whole army. You
ain't going in there by yourself, Mac?"

"Haw-Haw," explained the big man quietly, "I ain't going after Barry.
I'm going to make him come after me."

Haw-Haw considered this explanation for a dazed moment. It was far too
mysterious for his comprehension.

"What you goin' to do?" he asked again.

"Would you know that black hoss agin if you seen him?" asked Mac Strann.

"In a thousand."

"That hoss has had a long ride; and Barry has put him in one of them
barns, they ain't no doubt. Most like, the dog is with the hoss."

"It looks a considerable lot like a wolf," muttered Langley. "I wouldn't
choose meetin' up with that dog in the dark. Besides, what good is it
goin' to do you to find the dog?"

"If you hurt a man's dog," explained Mac Strann calmly, "you're hurting
the man, ain't you? I'm going to hurt this man's dog; afterwards the
dog'll bring the man to me. They ain't no doubt of that. I ain't goin'
to kill the dog. I'm goin' to jest nick him so's he'll get well and then
hit my trail."

"What sense is they in that?"

"If Barry comes to me, ain't he the one that's breakin' the law? If I
kill him then, won't it be in self-defense? I ain't no law-breaker,
Haw-Haw. It ain't any good bein' a law-breaker. Them lawyers can talk a
man right into a grave. They's worse nor poison. I'd rather be caught in
a bear trap a hundred miles from my shack than have a lawyer fasten onto
my leg right in the middle of Brownsville. No, Haw-Haw, I ain't going to
break any law. But I'm going to fix the wolf so's he'll know me; and
when he gets well he'll hit my trail, and when he hits my trail he'll
have Barry with him. And when Barry sees me, then----" he raised his
arms above him in the dark. "Then!" breathed Mac Strann, "Jerry can
start sleepin' sound for the first time!"

Haw-Haw Langley wrapped his long arms about himself.

"An' I'll be there to watch. I'll be there to see fair play, don't you
never doubt it, Mac. Why didn't I never go with you before? Why, Jerry
never done anything to touch this! But be careful, Mac. Don't make no
slip up to-night. If they's trouble--I ain't a fighting man, Mac. I
ain't no ways built for it."

"Shut your mouth," said Mac Strann bluntly. "I need quiet now."

For they were now close to the house. Mac Strann brought his horse to a
jog trot and