he's got
him all saddled; and the gate's tied shut with a rope."

"How d'yuh know?" grunted the sheriff crossly.

"Felt of it, yuh chump. He's turned the bunch loose and kept up a fresh
one, like I said he would. It's blame dark, but I could see the horse--a
big white devil. It's him yuh hear makin' all that racket. If he gits
away now--"

"Well, we didn't come for a chin-whackin' bee," snapped the sheriff. "I
come out here t' git him."

Pink gritted his teeth again, and wished the sheriff was just a man,
so he could lick him. He led them forward without a word, thinking that
Rowdy wanted Harry Conroy captured.

The sheriff circled warily the corral, peered through the rails at the
great white horse that ran here and there, whinnying occasionally for
the band, and heard the creak of leather and the rattle of the bit. Pink
was right; the horse was saddled, ready for immediate flight.

"Maybe he's in the cabin," he whispered, coming up where Pink stood
listening tensely at all the little night sounds. Pink turned and crept
silently to the right, keeping in the deepest shade, while the others
followed willingly. They were beginning to see the great advantage of
having Pink along, even if he had called them Rubes.

The cabin door yawned wide open, and creaked weirdly as the light wind
moved it; the interior was black and silent--suspiciously silent, in
the opinion of the sheriff. He waited for some time before venturing
in, fearing an ambush. Then he caught the flicker of a shielded match,
called out to Conroy to surrender, and leveled his gun at the place.

There was no answer but the faint shuffle of stealthy feet on the board
floor. The sheriff called another warning, cocked his gun--and came near
shooting Pink, who walked composedly out of the door into the sheriff's
astonished face. The sheriff had been sure that Pink was just behind
him.

"What the hell," began the sheriff explosively.

"He ain't here," said Pink simply. "I crawled in the window and hunted
the place over."

The sheriff glared at him dumbly; he could not reconcile Pink's
daredevil behavior with Pink's innocent, girlish appearance.

"I tell yuh the corral's what we want t' keep cases on," Pink added
insistently. "He's sure somewheres around--I'd gamble on it. He saddled
that horse t' git away on. That horse is sure the key t' this situation,
old-timer. If you fellows'll keep cases on the gate, I'll cover the
rear."

He made his way quie