r side of his belt for assurance as to ammunition.
Seeing that the black leather case which was slung from the pommel of
the saddle contained his field glass and that his canteen was full of
water, he rode to the back door of his house, where his wife gave him
a bag of food. Promising her that he would take good care of himself
and to return as speedily as possible, he cantered through the gate
and down the street toward the "Oasis," the door of which was always open.
Two dogs were stretched out in the doorway, lazily snapping at flies.
As the sheriff drew rein he heard snores which wheezed from the barroom.

"Say, Dan!" he cried loudly. "Dan!"

"Shout it out, Sheriff," came the response from within the darkened room,
and the bartender appeared at the door.

"If anybody wants me, they may find me at Brent's; I'm going out that
way," the sheriff said, as he loosened the reins. "Bite, d------n you,"
he growled at his horse.

"All right, Jim," sleepily replied the bartender, watching the peace
officer as he cantered briskly down the street. He yawned, stretched
and returned to his chair, there to doze lightly as long as he might.

Shields usually left word at the Oasis as to where he might be found in
case he should be badly needed, but in this instance he had left word
where he could not be found if needed. He cantered out of the town over
the trail which led to Brent's ranch and held to it until he had put
great enough distance behind to assure him that he was out of sight of any
curious citizen of Ford's Station. Then he wheeled abruptly as he reached
the bottom of an arroyo and swung sharply to the northeast at a right
angle to his former course and pushed his mount at a lope around the
chaparrals and cacti, all the time riding more to the east and in the
direction of the U Bend of the Limping Water. He frowned slightly and
grumbled as he estimated that The Orphan would have nearly three hours'
start of him by the time he reached his objective, which meant a long
chase in the pursuit of such a man.

To a tenderfoot the heat would have been very oppressive, even dangerous,
but the sheriff thought it an ideal temperature for hunting. He smiled
pleasantly at his surroundings and was pleased by the playful vim of
his belligerent pinto, whose actions were not in the least intended to
be playful. When the animal suddenly turned its head and nipped hard and
quick at the sheriff's legs, getting a mouthful of nasty leather