tryin' a fool scheme you want to shift the
business on _my_ shoulders, eh? Well, Sautee, you've never shown much
confidence in my ability, an' you don't have to show any now. It looks
to me as if the finishing of this play is all up to you."

"Oh, no, it isn't," said Sautee confidently. "You'll be most mighty
glad to take out after him."

"Suppose you wait an' see how quick I start," Mannix retorted angrily.
"What's the matter? Didn't he carry out your orders? I suppose you
gave him a bundle of money to make off with. Sautee, I believe you're
a fool!"

The mines manager winced and then frowned. "I gave him the money to
carry to the mine," he confessed without flinching. "He came back with
a story about being held up, and when he saw that I didn't believe him
and intended to turn him back to you, he pulled a gun on me and made
his get-away. He lit out through town for the road to the hogback and
the pass over the mountains."

Mannix laughed harshly. "You're clever, Sautee; there's no getting
away from how clever you are. Now you want me to go chasing up to the
hogback to head him off. Well, I'm tellin' you that I don't know where
he's gone, an' I ain't starting out after him at any two o'clock in
the morning. If you'd have kept your nose out of this he'd still be
all safe an' quiet in jail. That's final, so you might as well clear
out an' give me a chance to get some sleep."

Sautee merely smiled after this speech from the disgusted deputy.

"Since I intrusted Rathburn with that job I've found out something
about him which takes the case out of my hands entirely," he said with
a smirk. "I don't care if you don't start after him till day after
to-morrow. But if your chief--the sheriff--finds out that you didn't
hit the trail to-night he'll likely ask you for your badge!"

"Are you threatening me?" Mannix demanded loudly.

"No, I'm only stating facts," Sautee replied stoutly. "That man who
calls himself Rathburn is The Coyote!"

Mannix didn't start. He appeared hardly interested. Only the keen,
penetrating quality of the steady gaze he directed at the mines
manager betrayed the fact that his faculties were aroused.

"The Coyote hit back for Arizona after that deal he was mixed up in
over in Dry Lake, across the range," he said with conviction.

"Oh, he did?" Sautee sneered openly. "Well, you had him in jail last
night, and you can probably get him again, if you start right out
after him."

"What makes you th