r any roof.
It was the wind which made him smile. These things he understood,
without fear.

So he said good-bye, and the rider waved carelessly and took the reins
of the piebald and turned the stallion back. He noted the catlike grace
of the horse in moving, as if his muscles were steel springs; and he
noted also that the long ride had scarcely stained the glossy hide with
sweat--while the piebald reeked with the labour. Randall Byrne drew
thoughtfully back onto the porch of the hotel and followed the rider
with his eyes. In a moment a great cloud of dust poured down the street,
covered the rider, and when it was gone he had passed around a corner
and out of the life of the doctor.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

THE CHALLENGE

All this time Black Bart had trotted contentedly ahead of Satan, never
having to glance back but apparently knowing the intended direction;
save that when Dan Barry turned to the road leading out of the little
town, the wolf-dog had turned in an opposite direction. The rider turned
in the saddle and sent a sharp whistle towards the animal, but he was
answered by a short howl of woe that made him check Satan and swing
around. Black Bart stood in the centre of the street facing in the
opposite direction, and he looked back over his shoulder towards his
master.

There was apparently a perfect understanding between them, and the
master first glanced up and made sure of the position of the sun and the
length of time he might allow for the trip home, before he decided to
follow the whim of the wolf-dog. Then he turned Satan and cantered, with
the piebald trailing, back towards Black Bart.

At this the wolf-dog began to trot down the street, turned the next
corner, and drew up at the door of a rambling building above which hung
a dirty, cracked sign: "GILEAD SALOON" and underneath in smaller
letters was painted the legend: "Here's where you get it!"

Black Bart strolled up to the swinging doors of the emporium and then
turned to look back at his master; clearly he wished Dan to enter the
place. But the rider shook his head and would certainly have ridden on
had not, at that moment, the rain which had hitherto fallen only in
rattling bursts, now burst over the roofs of the town with a loud
roaring as of wind through a forest. It was possible that the shower
might soon pass over, so Dan rode under the long shelter which stretched
in front of the saloon, dismounted, and entered behind Black Bart.

It