r in Clayton's, "I'm going to do what I
can for you. But I don't quite know what is to be done. They're going to
be on your trail mighty soon if they're not on it now. Can you ride?"

"I can't ride much, Buck." And yet Clayton's voice rang with its first
note of hope. For if Thornton knew him, then no less did Clayton know
Thornton. And Buck had said that he was going to help him. "I rode them
two hundred miles getting here, me all shot to hell that away. An' I
rode into your camp las' night to leave the letter. An' I guess if it
had been half a mile fu'ther I wouldn't never have made it back."

"Why didn't you come in at my cabin? I'd have fixed you up there."

"I come awful near it, Buck! I wanted to. But I didn't know. There might
'a' been some of the other boys bunkin' there an' I wasn't takin'
chances."

"I see. Now, let's see what we're goin' to do."

He stood whipping at his boots with his quirt, trying to see a way. This
lonely place might be a safe refuge for a few days. But range business
sometimes carried his men this far, and soon or late some one would
stumble upon Clayton's hiding place. Clayton's voice, eager again and
confident, broke into his thoughts.

"I got to find somebody as'll give me a lift, ain't I? A man can't go on
playin' a lone han' like I'm adoin' an' get away with it long. Now, I
got to be laid up here four or five days, anyway, until I can ride
again. You can keep your punchers away from here that long, can't you?"

"Yes. I can give them plenty to do on the other end."

"That's good. An' you can ride out again, at night, you know, Buck, an'
smuggle me some more grub, can't you?"

"Yes. But...."

"Wait a minute! I know a man in Hill's Corners as'll give me a han'. I
done him favours before now, same as I done for you, Buck. An' he knows
the ropes up here. You can git word to him, can't you? An' then I'll
drift, an' he'll look out for me, an' you'll be square with what I done
for you, Buck. Will you do it?"

"Yes, Jimmie. I'll do it. I'll ride in and see your man at the Corners.
Who is it, Jimmie?"

"An' you won't tell nobody but him, will you, Buck?"

"No. I won't tell any one else. Who is it?"

"It's a man as may be crooked with some," said Clayton slowly. "But he's
awful square with a pal. It's a man name of Bedloe. They call him the
Kid."

CHAPTER XV

THE KID

So the next day Buck Thornton rode away to the south and to Hill's
Corners.

He had planned to h