what happened? He got out uh sight down
Dry Spring Gulch--yuh know where that elephant-head rock sticks out,
and the trail makes a short turn around it--that's where I lost sight
of him. But he wasn't very far in the lead, and I was dead anxious to
give him his rope, so I loped on down--"

"You were taking long chances, old-timer; that's mighty rough going,
along there," hinted Chip, gravely.

"Sure, I was," Andy agreed easily. "But yuh recollect, I was in a
hurry. So I'd just rounded the elephant's head, when _bing!_ something
spats the rock, just over my right shoulder, and my horse squatted
down on his rump and said he'd gone far enough. I kinda felt the same
way about it, so when he wheeled and humped himself back up the trail,
I didn't argue none with him."

There was silence so deep one could hear the saddle-bunch cropping the
thick grasses along the creek. If this were true--this tale that Andy
was telling--The Happy Family, half tempted to believe, glanced
furtively at one another.

"Aw, gwan!" It was the familiar, protesting croak of Happy Jack. "What
did yuh turn tail for? Why didn't yuh have it out with him?" The Happy
Family drew a long breath, and the temptation to believe was pushed
aside.

"Because my gun was rolled up in my bed," Andy replied simply. "I
ain't as brave as you are, Happy. I ain't got the nerve to ride right
up on a man that's scared plumb silly and pumping lead my way fast as
he can work the lever on his rifle, and lick him with my fists till he
howls, and then throw him and walk up and down his person and flap my
wings and crow. It's awful to have to confess it, but I'm willing to
run from any man that's shooting at me when I can't shoot back. I'd
give a lot to be as brave as you are, Happy."

Happy Jack growled and subsided.

"Well, by golly, there's times when _we'd_ be justified in shooting
yuh, but I don't see what _he'd_ want to do it for," objected Slim.

"Guilty conscience, I told yuh," retorted Andy. "He seen I was chasing
him up, and I guess he thought it was somebody that had got next to
what happened--Lord, I wish I knew what did happen, down there in the
breaks! Boys," Andy got up and stood looking earnestly down at them in
the twilight, "you can't make me believe that there hasn't been a
murder done! That fellow has been up to something, or he wouldn't be
acting so damn' queer. And if it was just plain stealing, Dan would
sure be hot on his trail--because Dan though