e sheriff, however, only sighed, and as
the moonlight increased Vic could see that he was deeply, childishly
contented, for in the heart of the little dusty man there was that
inextinguishable spark, the love of battle. Chance had thrown him on the
side of the law, but sooner or later dull times were sure to come and
then Pete Glass would cut out work of his own making go bad. The love of
the man-trail is a passion that works in two ways, and they who begin
by hunting will in the end be the hunted; the mountain-desert is filled
with such histories.

"Three to five," said the sheriff, "sounds more interestin', Vic."

A sudden passion to destroy that assured calm rose in Gregg.

"Three common men might make you a game," he said, glowering, "but them
ain't common ones. One of 'em I don't know, but he has a damned nervous
hand. Another is Lee Haines!"

He had succeeded in part, at least. The sheriff sat bolt erect; he
seemed to be hearing distant music.

"Lee Haines!" he murmured. "That was Jim Silent's man. They say he was
as fast with a gun as Jim himself." He sighed again. "They's nothing
like a big man, Vic, to fill your sights."

"Daniels and Haines, suppose you count them off agin' the rest of your
gang, Pete. That leaves Barry for you." He grinned maliciously. "D'you
know what Barry it is?"

"It's a kind of common name, Vic."

"Pete, have you heard of Whistlin' Dan?"

No doubt about it, he had burst the confidence of the sheriff into
fragments. The little man began to pant and even in the dim light Vic
could see that his face was working.

"Him!" he said at length. And then: "I might of knowed! Him!" He leaned
closer. "Keep it to yourself, Vic, or you'll have the rest of the boys
runnin' for cover before the fun begins."

He snuggled a little closer to his rock and turned his head towards the
house.

"Him!" he said again.

Columbus, when he saw the land of his dream wavering blue in the
distance, might have hailed it with such a heart-filling whisper, and
Vic knew that when these two met, these two slender, small men--with the
uneasy hands, there would be a battle whose fame would ring from range
to range.

"If they was only a bit more light," muttered the sheriff. "My God, Vic,
why ain't the moon jest a mite nearer the full!"

After that, not a word for a long time until the lights in the house
were suddenly extinguished.

"So they won't show up agin no background when they make their run,"
mur