Buck."

Thornton glanced at his little alarm clock. It was not yet half past
eight.

"I've got to be in the Corners by twelve o'clock," he said as he went
back to his chair. "I'll ride Comet, though, and can make it handily in
two hours. Now, what's the line of talk?"

Comstock's look trailed back to his cigar.

"I'm after a man," he volunteered.

"That's a safe bet. What man?"

"Not poor little Jimmie Clayton," smiled Comstock. "He's only a weak
little fool at the worst, and wouldn't be a bad sort if he had somebody
around all the time to steer him right."

"Who is he?" retorted Thornton steadily ... remembering.

"He's the man you owe a debt of gratitude to," laughed Comstock. "He put
some bullets through you one night down Texas way, found that he'd
slipped up and that you'd put your money into a check, and then played
safe by nursing you through it! The man who broke jail a month or so
ago, and beat it up here to you to see him through. I'm _not_ after
him."

"You seem to know a whole lot," answered Thornton noncommittally neither
voice nor face nor eye showing a hint of surprise or other emotion. And
yet he was thinking swiftly, that if this man spoke the truth he had a
score to settle with Jimmie Clayton.

"Oh, it's my business to know a whole lot," resumed Comstock, answering
the look in Thornton's eyes. "I just say that I'm not after Jimmie
Clayton as I don't want you to think that you'll be giving away anything
on a friend. The man I want," and he tilted his chair back a little
farther, drew up his carefully creased trousers with thumb and
forefinger and crossed one leg over the other, "is a man who got away
from me seven years ago. Down in New Mexico."

"Name?" asked Thornton bluntly.

"His name doesn't matter, I guess. He had three during the time that I
knew him, and I suppose he's had half a dozen since."

"Before you go any further," interrupted Thornton, "tell me why you came
to me at all?"

"Banker Templeton of Dry Town is a friend of mine. We went to school
together. He's the man who led me to believe, to hope," he added softly,
"that the man I want is working this country now. I told Templeton that
I wanted to make a little visit to this neck of the woods. And he gave
me your name."

"I see. Now, about your man?"

"I'm going to ask you a string of questions, Thornton. We haven't over
much time and any way there wouldn't be any use now in my stopping to
explain just what I'm drivin