Shiller himself.

"So you done it, did you?" he said.

"Sure," said McHale. "He comes a-shootin', and I gets him. Likewise I
gets them two _tillikums_ of his if they want it that way."

"Billy's keepin' them quiet with the pump gun," Shiller informed him.
"You better get out o' town. I'll clean up your mess, darn you! Git
quick. Them fellers expects some more in."

McHale nodded. "I ain't organized to stand off a whole posse with one
gun. So long, Bob. I'm plumb sorry I mixed you into this. They won't
like you much now."

"They don't need to," said Shiller. "Want any money? Want another gun?
I got a handy little three-ought-three carbine."

"No. I'll get my own outfit. I may have to lie out for a spell. Well,
I'll be movin'."

He mounted swiftly. Men crowding up to the scene of the affray stopped
suddenly. Few of them had seen the like before. They shrank back, awed,
from the killer. He rode down the street, gun in hand, casting swift
glances right and left, ready for any attempt to stop him. There was
none. He vanished in the swells of brown grasses, riding at an easy
lope, as unhurried as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

CHAPTER XXIII

Tom McHale reached Chakchak, stabled his horse, made a hasty toilet,
and attacked a belated supper. While he was eating with hearty appetite
Casey and Wade strolled in.

"Did that freight come?" asked Casey.

"Nope," said McHale. "I got a tracer started after her."

"Anything doing in town?"

"Why, I reckon there was a _leetle_ excitement there for a few
minutes," said McHale. "Sort of an argument in front of Bob Shiller's."

Casey, from his knowledge of McHale, came to attention at once. "Well?"
he asked abruptly.

"Well, it was me and this here Cross," McHale explained. "I downed
him."

"In the argument?" laughed Wade, who did not comprehend. But Casey
asked quickly: "Gun?"

McHale nodded.

"You did! How'd it happen? Is he dead?"

"I miss once, but three times I'm pretty near centre," McHale replied.
"Course, I didn't wait to hold no inquest, but if he ain't forded
Jordan's tide by now he's plumb lucky; also tough. Only thing makes me
doubt it is the way he goes down. He don't come ahead on his face the
way a man does when he's plugged for keeps; but he sorter sags
backward, so he may have a chance. Still, I reckon she's a slim one."

Casey got the full story with half a dozen brief questions.

"Clear case of self-defence, isn't it, Wa