y, and just as,
without greeting, he pushed by, "S'pose you've heard Scowl Austin's
dead?" she said in a low voice.

"No! Dead, eh? Well, there's one rattlesnake less in the woods."

The constable stopped him with a touch on the shoulder: "We have a
warrant for you."

The Colonel lifted his head and stared about, in a dazed way, as the
Boy stopped short and stammered, "Warr--what for?"

"For the murder of Scoville----"

"Look here," he whispered: "I--I don't know what you mean, but I'll go
along with you, of course, only don't talk before this man. He's
sick----" He beckoned the doctor. "This is the man I brought you to
see." Then he turned his back on the wide, horrified eyes of his
friend, saying, "Back in a minute, Kentucky." Outside: "Give me a
second, boys, will you?" he said to the N. W. M. P.'s, "just till I
hear what that doctor fella says about my pardner."

He stood there with the Buckeyes, the police, and the various day gangs
that were too excited to go to bed. And he asked them where Austin was
found, and other details of the murder, wearily conscious that the
friendliest there felt sure that the man who questioned could best fill
in the gaps in the story. When the doctor came out, Maudie at his heels
firing off quick questions, the Boy hobbled forward.

"Well?"

"Temperature a hundred and four," said the Dawson doctor.

"Oh, is--is that much or little?"

"Well, it's more than most of us go in for."

"Can you tell what's the matter with him?"

"Oh, typhoid, of course."

The Boy pulled his hat over his eyes.

"Guess you won't mind my stayin' now?" said Maudie at his elbow,
speaking low.

He looked up. "You goin' to take care of him? Good care?" he asked
harshly.

But Maudie seemed not to mind. The tears went down her cheeks, as, with
never a word, she nodded, and turned towards the tent.

"Say," he hobbled after her, "that doctor's all right--only wanted
fifty." He laid four hundred-dollar bills in her hand. She seemed about
to speak, when he interrupted hoarsely, "And look here: pull the
Colonel through, Maudie--pull him through!"

"I'll do my darnedest."

He held out his hand. He had never given it to her before, and he
forgot that few people would care now to take it. But she gave him hers
with no grudging. Then, on a sudden, impulse, "You ain't takin' him to
Dawson to-night?" she said to the constable.

He nodded.

"Why, he's done the trip twice already."

"I can do it agai