pades gun-thrower who killed
Bland, Alloway--?"

"An' Hardin." Knell whispered this last name with more feeling than the
apparent circumstance demanded.

"Yes; and Hardin, the best one of the Rim Rock fellows--Buck Duane!"

Longstreth was so ghastly white now that his black mustache seemed
outlined against chalk. He eyed his grim lieutenant. They understood
each other without more words. It was enough that Buck Duane was there
in the Big Bend. Longstreth rose presently and reached for a flask, from
which he drank, then offered it to Knell. He waved it aside.

"Knell," began the chief, slowly, as he wiped his lips, "I gathered you
have some grudge against this Buck Duane."

"Yes."

"Well, don't be a fool now and do what Poggin or almost any of you men
would--don't meet this Buck Duane. I've reason to believe he's a Texas
Ranger now."

"The hell you say!" exclaimed Knell.

"Yes. Go to Ord and give Jim Fletcher a hunch. He'll get Poggin, and
they'll fix even Buck Duane."

"All right. I'll do my best. But if I run into Duane--"

"Don't run into him!" Longstreth's voice fairly rang with the force of
its passion and command. He wiped his face, drank again from the flask,
sat down, resumed his smoking, and, drawing a paper from his vest pocket
he began to study it.

"Well, I'm glad that's settled," he said, evidently referring to the
Duane matter. "Now for the new job. This is October the eighteenth. On
or before the twenty-fifth there will be a shipment of gold reach the
Rancher's Bank of Val Verde. After you return to Ord give Poggin these
orders. Keep the gang quiet. You, Poggin, Kane, Fletcher, Panhandle
Smith, and Boldt to be in on the secret and the job. Nobody else. You'll
leave Ord on the twenty-third, ride across country by the trail till you
get within sight of Mercer. It's a hundred miles from Bradford to Val
Verde--about the same from Ord. Time your travel to get you near Val
Verde on the morning of the twenty-sixth. You won't have to more than
trot your horses. At two o'clock in the afternoon, sharp, ride into town
and up to the Rancher's Bank. Val Verde's a pretty big town. Never been
any holdups there. Town feels safe. Make it a clean, fast, daylight job.
That's all. Have you got the details?"

Knell did not even ask for the dates again.

"Suppose Poggin or me might be detained?" he asked.

Longstreth bent a dark glance upon his lieutenant.

"You never can tell what'll come off," continued Kne