ll Poggin?"

"Yes. That's one reason we fell out. He raved. I thought he was goin' to
kill me."

"Why did you tackle such a risky job without help or plan?"

"It offered, that's all. An' it was easy. But it was a mistake. I got
the country an' the railroad hollerin' for nothin'. I just couldn't help
it. You know what idleness means to one of us. You know also that this
very life breeds fatality. It's wrong--that's why. I was born of good
parents, an' I know what's right. We're wrong, an' we can't beat the
end, that's all. An' for my part I don't care a damn when that comes."

"Fine wise talk from you, Knell," said Longstreth, scornfully. "Go on
with your story."

"As I said, Jim cottons to the pretender, an' they get chummy. They're
together all the time. You can gamble Jim told all he knew an' then
some. A little liquor loosens his tongue. Several of the boys rode over
from Ord, an' one of them went to Poggin an' says Jim Fletcher has a new
man for the gang. Poggin, you know, is always ready for any new man.
He says if one doesn't turn out good he can be shut off easy. He rather
liked the way this new part of Jim's was boosted. Jim an' Poggin always
hit it up together. So until I got on the deal Jim's pard was already in
the gang, without Poggin or you ever seein' him. Then I got to figurin'
hard. Just where had I ever seen that chap? As it turned out, I never
had seen him, which accounts for my bein' doubtful. I'd never forget
any man I'd seen. I dug up a lot of old papers from my kit an' went over
them. Letters, pictures, clippin's, an' all that. I guess I had a pretty
good notion what I was lookin' for an' who I wanted to make sure of. At
last I found it. An' I knew my man. But I didn't spring it on Poggin.
Oh no! I want to have some fun with him when the time comes. He'll be
wilder than a trapped wolf. I sent Blossom over to Ord to get word from
Jim, an' when he verified all this talk I sent Blossom again with a
message calculated to make Jim hump. Poggin got sore, said he'd wait for
Jim, an' I could come over here to see you about the new job. He'd meet
me in Ord."

Knell had spoken hurriedly and low, now and then with passion. His pale
eyes glinted like fire in ice, and now his voice fell to a whisper.

"Who do you think Fletcher's new man is?"

"Who?" demanded Longstreth.

"BUCK DUANE!"

Down came Longstreth's boots with a crash, then his body grew rigid.

"That Nueces outlaw? That two-shot ace-of-s