eration of the man he was following, and the
threat that "no two men should take him alive," was, he realized, no
idle one. He had no doubt that unless he could circumvent him in some
way, his capture might be no easy task, and that in this undeveloped
country he was taking his life in his hands in the journey he was now
making. He never faltered for an instant, however; he was determined to
capture this criminal, if possible, and he quietly murmured to himself:
"Well, let the worst come, a quick eye and a steady hand are good things
to have in a meeting like this may be, and I'll take care that Thomas
Duncan does not catch me napping."

His meditations were suddenly interrupted by the unexpected appearance
of the little Jewish tailor, who, breathless and panting, now came
scrambling up on the platform and exclaimed:

"Py gracious, Mr. Manning! I vas afraid you vas gone, and I hafe
somedings on my mindt dot bodders me like de dickens!"

[Illustration: "Py cracious, Mr. Manning, I hafe somedings on my mindt
dot bodders me loike de dickens!"]

"What is it that troubles you, Mr. Gross?" inquired the detective,
laughing in spite of himself at the little fellow's distress.

"Vell, I'll told you," he answered, mopping the perspiration which was
streaming from his face. "I was tinkin' dot may be if you git dot
fellow, you vould be vantin' me for a vitness, and s'help me Moses I
vould not do dot--not for dwo hundred tollar."

"Oh, you need not give yourself any uneasiness on that score, Mr.
Gross," said Manning; "you will not be wanted in any case whatever."

"My gootness, I vas glad of dot. If I vas to leaf my bisness I vould be
ruined. Dot's all right, dough. Let's go und take a glass of peer."

At this juncture, the shrill whistle of the approaching train was heard,
and this fact enabled the detective to decline the proffered
beverage. After a hearty hand-shake from the nervous little clothier,
Manning sprang upon the train and in a few moments later he was on his
way to Miles City.

CHAPTER XIX.

From Bismarck to Bozeman--The Trail Growing Warmer--Duncan Buys a
Pony--A Long Stage Ride.

The distance from Bismarck to Miles City is about three hundred miles,
and as Manning left the former place early in the evening, he secured a
couch in the comfortable sleeping car, and shortly afterward retired to
rest. It seemed almost incredible the giant strides which had been made
in a few years in the process of ci