eside
Caney, eye to eye; he cocked his hat athwart.

"Now, Mr. Ed Caney," he said sweetly, "any time you're not just
satisfied with the way I behave you know what you can do. This place
is here and this time is now. Fly to it!"

"Why, what's eating you, Charlie? This
spitfire-wildcat-wolf-and-my-night-to-howl thing is a new lay, isn't
it? I always gave you credit for some sense."

"Your mistake," said Charlie. "You ride on. I don't like deputy
sheriffs much; especially deputies from Dona Ana; and most extra
special and particular, tall deputies from Dona Ana with their faces
pitted with smallpox, going by the name of Ed Caney, and butting into
my private conversation. Me and old Stargazer will be in at the
finish, and we don't need anybody to tell us how fast to go or nothing
like that at all. So what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to ride on--that's what!" said Caney. "You can come along
or you can go to hell--I don't care."

"It's a cruel world," said Charlie. "I've heard people call you a
fool, but I know better, now. Don't you worry about us not keeping
up."

Caney drove home the spurs and drew ahead.

They galloped into Arrey.

Yes, they had seen a man on a blue horse. "Filled his canteen here.
Peart pair!... Which way? Oh, right up the big road to Hillsb'ro--him
singin' and the horse dancin'.... Oh, maybe half an hour ago. He
stayed here quite some time--admirin' the mountains, I judge, and
fillin' his canteen--him and Josie. Better stay to supper, you-all;
looks mighty like rain over yonder."

They turned squarely from the river valley and pushed up the staircase
road. The track was clear and plain, three old shoes and a new one.
They climbed the first bench-land step, and saw the long gray road
blank before them in the last flame-red of sun. Swift dusk dropped
like a curtain as they climbed the next step and saw a slow black
speck far ahead in the dim loneliness.

"Got him!" said Jody. "Here, one can trail along behind, while two of
us take the right and two go on the left, keeping cover in little
draws and behind ridges. We'll have him surrounded before he knows
we're after him. Way he's riding, we can head him off long before he
gets to the Percha."

"Fine!" said Hobby Lull. "Fine! He rides into an ambush at dark.
Guilty--he fights of course. Innocent--of course he fights! Any man
with a bone in his spinal column would fight. First-rate scheme,
except that Charlie See and me won't h