de of Grant--you know what happened. I shot
the animal, stripped off my saddle an' hoofed it to town, an' dropped
into that gospel dealer's layout to see if he could make me feel any
better--which he could not. I just couldn't stand his palaver about
death an' slipped out. I was going to lay for you an' lick you for the
way you acted about this scarf--had to do something or go loco. But when
I got outside there was yore cayuse, all saddled an' ready to go. I
just up an' threw my saddle on it, followed suit with myself an' was
ten miles out of town before I realized just what I'd done. But the
realizing part of it didn't make no difference to me--I'd 'a' done
it just the same if I had stopped to think it over. That's flat, an'
straight. I've got to get to that li'l woman as quick as I can, an' I'd
steal all the cayuses in the whole damned country if they'd do me any
good. That's all of it--take it or leave it. I put it up to you. That's
yore cayuse, but you ain't going to get it without fighting me for it!
If you shoot me down without giving me a chance, all right! I'll cut a
throat for that wore-out bronc!"

Hopalong was buried in thought and came to himself just in time to cover
the other and stop him not six feet away. "Just a minute, before you
make me shoot you! I want to think about it."

"Damn that gun!" swore the fugitive, nervously shifting his feet and
preparing to spring. "We'd 'a' been fighting by this time if it wasn't
for that!"

"You stand still or I'll blow you apart," retorted Hopalong, grimly. "A
man's got a right to think, ain't he? An' if I had somebody here to mind
these guns so you couldn't sneak 'em on me I'd fight you so blamed quick
that you'd be licked before you knew you was at it. But we ain't going
to fight--_stand still_! You ain't got no show at all when yo're dead!"

"Then you gimme that cayuse--my God, man! Do you know the hell I've been
through for the last two days? Got the word up at Daly's Crossing an'
ain't slept since. I'll go loco if the strain lasts much longer! She
asking for me, begging to see me: an' me, like a damned idiot, wasting
time out here talking to another. Ride with me, behind me--it's only
forty miles more--tie me to the saddle an' blow me to pieces if you find
I'm lying--do anything you wants; but let me get to Winchester before
dark!"

Hopalong was watching him closely and at the end of the other's outburst
threw back his head. "I reckon I'm a plain fool, a ja