pparent in his voice. Clyde smiled at him.

"Then perhaps you'll take a look at my room now, and allow me to retire
again."

"I don't need to look there, ma'am," the man replied. "I'm awful sorry
we troubled you."

"That's the way to talk," said a quiet voice from the door.

The leader whirled instantly to look into the ominous muzzle of a heavy
automatic held by Casey Dunne.

"Put that gun down, and your hands up!" snapped Casey. "Quick! No
nonsense! I'll kill the first man that tries anything."

The quiet had gone from his voice; it bit like acid. Strange, hard
lights danced in his eyes. The hand that held the gun had not a tremor.
Clyde, looking at him, saw and recognized in his face the cold
deadliness which she had once seen in McHale's.

Without an instant's hesitation the leader put his weapon on the table.
"You win once," he observed.

"That's sensible," Casey commented. "Now, perhaps you'll tell me what
this means?"

"No objection in the world," the other replied coolly. "We wanted to
interview McHale."

"Is that so? Well, Tom isn't here to-night Mr. Dade. By the way, unless
you really like it you needn't wear that transformation scheme across
your face. Same remark applies to the other gentlemen. I like to know
my visitors."

Dade laughed, removing the handkerchief. "Take a good look. You may see
me again."

"Any time you like, Mr. Dade. And what did you want with McHale?"

"Well," Dade answered calmly, "we figured that he'd help us take the
stretch out of a new rope."

"Nobody else would do?" queried Casey.

"We wanted him."

"I see. And had our mutual friend, Mr. Cross, anything to do with your
desire? By the way, how _is_ Mr. Cross? Or should I say the late Mr.
Cross?"

"Not yet," Dade replied. "He's got a chance."

"Then aren't you too previous?"

"McHale laid for him, and plugged him as he came out of Shiller's,"
Dade declared.

"Cross came out of Shiller's with his gun in his hand to get McHale,"
said Casey. "McHale was entitled to shoot. It was an even break."

"That's not how I heard it."

"That's what McHale says, and it goes with me."

"It don't go with me," Dade declared. "Me and Cross is partners--has
been for years. I'm out to get McHale, and you can send him word. I
reckon he ain't here, or he'd be obvious."

"He'd be mighty obvious," Casey agreed. "I may as well tell you, Mr.
Dade, that this feud business makes me tired. It's sinful, and, worse
than that, it's o