agg's
Ridge.

They did not hurry, for McKay had faith in Cassidy's word. He knew the
red-headed man-hunter would not break his promise--he would wait the
full two hours in Indian Tom's cabin, and another five minutes after
that. In Jolly Roger, as the minutes passed, exultation at his
achievement died away, and there filled him again the old
loneliness--the loneliness which called out against the fate which had
made of Cassidy an enemy instead of a friend. And yet--what an enemy!

He reached down, and touched Peter's bushy head with his hand.

"Why didn't the Law give another man the assignment to run us down," he
protested. "Someone we could have hated, and who would have hated us!
Why did they send Cassidy--the fairest and squarest man that ever wore
red? We can't do him a dirty turn--we can't hurt him, _Pied-Bot_, even at
the worst. And if ever he takes us in to Headquarters, and looks at us
through the bars, I feel it's going to be like a knife in his heart.
But he'll do it, Peter, if he can. It's his job. And he's honest. We've
got to say that of Cassidy."

The Ridge loomed up at the edge of the level plain, and for a few
moments Jolly Roger paused, while he looked off through the eastward
gloom. A mile in that direction, beyond the cleft that ran like a great
furrow through the Ridge, was Jed Hawkins' cabin, still and dark under
the faint glow of the stars. And in that cabin was Nada. He felt that
she was sitting at her little window, looking out into the night,
thinking of him--and a great desire gripped at his heart, tugging him
in its direction. But he turned toward the west.

"We can't let her know what has happened, boy," he said, feeling the
urge of caution. "For a little while we must let her think we have left
the country. If Cassidy sees her, and talks with her, something in
those blue-flower eyes of hers might give us away if she knew we were
hiding up among the rocks of the Stew-Kettle. But I'm hopin' God
A'mighty won't let her see Cassidy. And I'm thinking He won't,
_Pied-Bot_, because I've a pretty good hunch He wants us to settle with
Jed Hawkins before we go."

It was a habit of his years of aloneness, this talking to a creature
that could make no answer. But even in the darkness he sensed the
understanding of Peter.

Rocks grew thicker and heavier under their feet, and they went more
slowly, and occasionally stumbled in the gloom. But, after a fashion,
they knew their way even in darkness.