up
there when the back-fire caught you. The boys have been tellin' me. You
saved all their lives, I judge."

"I happened to know where the cave was."

"Yes." Crawford's whisper was sadly ironic. "Well, I'm sure glad you
happened to know that. If you hadn't...." The old cattleman gave a
little gesture that completed the sentence. The tragedy that had taken
place had shaken his soul. He felt in a way responsible.

"If the doc ain't busy now, I reckon Dave could use him," Bob said. "I
reckon he needs a li'l' attention. Then I'm ready for grub an' a sleep
twice round the clock. If any one asks me, I'm sure enough dead beat.
I don't ever want to look at a shovel again."

"Doc's fixin' up Lanier's burnt laig. He'd oughtta be through soon now.
I'll have him 'tend to Dave's burns right away then," said Crawford. He
turned to Sanders. "How about it, son? You sure look bunged up pretty
bad."

"I'm about all in," admitted Dave. "Reckon we all are. Shorty gone yet?"

"Yes. Lit out after he'd made a report. Said he had an engagement to meet
a man. Expect he meant he had an engagement _not_ to meet the sheriff. I
rec'lect when Shorty was a mighty promisin' young fellow before Brad
Steelman got a-holt of him. He punched cows for me twenty years ago. He
hadn't took the wrong turn then. You cayn't travel crooked trails an' not
reach a closed pocket o' the hills sometime."

For several minutes they had heard the creaking of a wagon working up an
improvised road toward the camp. Now it moved into sight. The teamster
called to Crawford.

"Here's another load o' grub, boss. Miss Joyce she rustled up them
canteens you was askin' for."

Crawford stepped over to the wagon. "Don't reckon we'll need the
canteens, Hank, but we can use the grub fine. The fire's about out."

"That's bully. Say, I got news for you, Mr. Crawford. Brad Steelman's
dead. They found him in his house, shot plumb through the head. I reckon
he won't do you any more meanness."

"Who killed him?"

"They ain't sayin'," returned the teamster cautiously. "Some folks was
guessin' that mebbe Dug Doble could tell, but there ain't any evidence
far's I know. Whoever it was robbed the safe."

The old cattleman made no comment. From the days of their youth Steelman
had been his bitter enemy, but death had closed the account between them.
His mind traveled back to those days twenty-five years ago when he and
the sheepman had both hitched their horses in front of Helen R