me
when he left."

He straightened a little.

"So help me God, Lee, I've never done a crooked thing more since I shook
hands with Dan that day." He sat silent, but breathing hard. "Well, this
is the end of Whistlin' Dan. The law will never let up on him now; but
I tell you, Haines, I'm sick inside and I'd give my right hand plumb to
the wrist to set him straight and bring him back to Kate. Go in and tell
her, Lee. I--I'll wait for you here."

"You'll be damned," cried Haines. "I've done my share by bringing the
word this far. You can relay it."

Buck Daniels produced a silver dollar.

"Heads or tails?"

"Heads!" said Haines.

The dollar spun upwards, winking, and clanked on the rocks, tails up.
Haines stared at it with a grisly face.

"Good God," he muttered, "what'll I do, Buck, if she faints?"

"Faints?" echoed Daniels, "there's no fear of that! The first thing
you'll have to do is to saddle her horse."

"Now, what in hell are you driving at?"

"She'll be thinkin' of Joan. God knows she worried enough because Dan
hasn't brought the kid back before this, but when she hears what he's
done now, she'll know that he's wild for keeps and she'll be on the
trail to bring the young'un home."

He turned his back cleanly on the house and set his shoulders tense.

"Go on, Lee. Be a man."

He heard the steps of Haines start briskly enough for the house, but
they trailed away, slowly and more slowly, and finally there was a long
pause.

"He's standing at the door," muttered Buck. "Thank God I ain't in his
boots."

He jerked out his papers and tobacco, but in the very act of twisting
the cigarette tight the door slammed and he ripped the flimsy thing in
two. He started to take another paper, but his fingers were so unsteady
that he could not pull away the single sheet of tissue which he wanted.
Then his hands froze in place.

A faint tapping came out to him.

"He--he's rapping on her door," whispered Buck, and remained fixed in
place, his eyes staring straight before him.

The seconds slipped away.

"He's turned yaller," murmured Buck. "He couldn't do it. It'll be up to
me!"

But he had hardly spoken the words when a low cry came out to him from
the house. Then the silence again, but Buck Daniels began to mop his
forehead.

After that, once, twice, and again he made the effort to turn towards
the house, but when he finally succeeded it was whole minutes later, and
Lee Haines was leading a saddled hors