zed in his jailer a man of the
desert--possibly of the border country.

"So you're The Coyote," said the jailer in a rather high-pitched
voice.

Rathburn winked at him. "That's what they say," he replied.

"You size up to him, all right," observed the man of the desert. "An'
I can tell quick enough when I get a good look at you an' inspect your
left forearm. I've had your descriptions in front of my eyes on paper
an' from a dozen persons that knowed you for three years!"

"You been trailing me?" asked Rathburn curiously.

"I have; an' it ain't no credit to this bunch here that they got you,
for I was headed in this direction myself an' arrived 'most as soon as
you did."

"You from Arizona?" asked Rathburn, grasping his right foot in his
left hand.

"I'm from Arizony an' Mexico an' a few other places," was the answer.
"I've helped catch men like you before, Coyote."

Rathburn frowned, still keeping his hand over his right foot. "I don't
like that word, Coyote," he said softly, holding the other's gaze
between the bars. "A coyote is a cowardly breed of animal, isn't it?"

"An' a tricky one," said the jailer. "I ain't sayin' you're a coward;
but you're tricky, an' that's bad enough."

"Maybe so," agreed Rathburn. "Ah--here's our friend, his nibs, the
sheriff. He went out to rustle me some grub. He wants to keep me fat
for hanging!"

His laugh rang through the jail, empty save for himself and the two
officers. But the temporary jailer hesitated, looking at Rathburn's
eyes, before he turned to the sheriff.

"Open the door and I'll take it in to him," ordered the sheriff.
"Can't get this stuff through the bars. You might keep him covered."

The jailer's hand flew to his hip for his gun as he also brought up a
large key on a ring. He unlocked the door to the cage and held it open
while he kept his gun trained upon Rathburn.

The sheriff entered and placed the food on the stool and a large bowl
of coffee on the floor beside it. Then he backed out, watching
Rathburn keenly as the latter sat on his bench with his right foot in
his hand.

When the door clanged shut and the key rattled in the lock, Rathburn
let down his right foot, took two steps, and pulled the stool to the
bench. He stepped back and secured the coffee. Then he began to eat
and drink, keeping his right foot tipped on its toes, while the two
officials watched him attentively.

"Sheriff," said Rathburn suddenly, between bites on a huge meat
san