ing the top of the
stairs. They separated with alacrity, and gave her passage. One of the
men was Lefever, who, despite his size, was extremely nimble in
getting out of her urgent way, and quick in lifting his hat. She
fairly raced down the flight of steps, leaving Lefever looking after
her in astonishment. He turned to de Spain: "Now, who the deuce was
that?"

De Spain ignored his question by asking another: "Did you find him?"
Lefever shook his head. "Not a trace; I covered Main Street. I guess
Bob was right. Nobody home here, Henry?"

"Nobody we want."

"Nothing going on?"

"Not a thing. If you will wait here for Bob, I'll run over to the
office and answer those telegrams."

De Spain started for the stairs. "Henry," called Lefever, as his
companion trotted hastily down, "if you catch up to her, kindly
apologize for a fat man."

But de Spain was balked of an opportunity to follow Nan. In the street
he ran into Scott. "Did you get the story?" demanded de Spain.

"Part of it."

"Was it Sassoon?"

Scott shook his head. "I wish it was."

"What do you mean?"

"Deaf Sandusky."

"Calabasas?"

Scott nodded. "You must have moved a couple of inches at the right
nick, Henry. That man Sandusky," Bob smiled a sickly smile, "doesn't
miss very often. He was bothered a little by his friends being all
around you."

The two regarded each other for a moment in silence. "Why," asked de
Spain, boiling a little, "should that damned, hulking brute try to
blow _my_ head off just now?"

"Only for the good of the order, Henry," grinned the scout.

"Nice job Jeff has picked out for me," muttered de Spain grimly,
"standing up in these Sleepy Cat barrooms to be shot at." He drew in a
good breath and threw up the wet brim of his hat. "Well, such is life
in the high country, I suppose. Some fine day Mr. Sandusky will manage
to get me--or I'll manage to get him--that all depends on how the
happening happens. Anyway, Bob, it's bad luck to miss a man. We'll
hang that much of a handicap on his beef-eating crop. Is he the fellow
John calls the butcher?" demanded de Spain.

"That's what everybody calls him, I guess."

The two rejoined Lefever at the head of the stairs and the three
discussed the news. Even Lefever seemed more serious when he heard the
report. Scott, when asked where Sandusky now was, nodded toward the
big room in front of them.

Lefever looked toward the gambling-tables. "We'll go in and look at
him." He turn