horse had throw'd him off. Purdy seen he was all
in an' while he stood lookin' at him the fellow got to mutterin' about a
hold-up. Purdy fetched him some water an' the man--he was Mike
Hinch--begged him to give him his gun which had fell out of his reach,
so he could put hisself out of misery. Purdy thought if he was a
hold-up, he'd have a _cache_ somewheres, so he dickered with him,
agreein' to pass him the gun if he'd tell where his _cache_ was. Mike
said he didn't have no _cache_. He was headin' to Wolf River to horn
some money out of me to keep him from tippin' off the sheriff that I was
in on that hold-up. So Purdy give him his gun--an' he shot hisself, but
before he died he told Purdy that he was the only one left of the
gang--I'd bumped off two, an' Scar Lamento had got killed down in
Mexico." Cinnabar removed his hat and breathed deeply, "So now you've
got it--straight. I'd ought to told you before--but, somehow--I kep'
puttin' it off." He rose to his feet. "I'm goin' out an' git Purdy,
now--I'd ought to done it long ago."

Jennie rose and laid a hand on his arm: "Jest one thing more, Joe? That
little job of dirty work that Purdy wanted you to do--did you do it?"

Cinnabar grinned, "I did--an' I didn't. Ask Tex Benton--he knows."

"Tex Benton! That reminds me!" Jennie paused and pointed toward the
cabin. "In there, she told me that Tex is huntin' Purdy. How it comes
she's keepin' cases on Tex--an' her married--is more'n I know. But
that's what she said."

Cinnabar stared at her: "Tex huntin' Purdy!" he cried, "well, if he is,
it's good-night Purdy! An' I'm right now on my way to help him. It means
I'll do time, but I'll back up Tex's play, an' between the two of us
we'll git him."

Jennie shook her head: "No, Joe--not that way."

"What do you mean 'not that way'?"

"It's like--murder----"

"Murder!" exclaimed Cinnabar, "it ain't no murder to kill a skunk like
him! He's got us right where he wants us. This is only the beginnin' of
what he'll do to us. If I don't come acrost with whatever he says--up I
go. An' if I do come acrost, up I go anyhow--he'll double-cross me jest
to git me out of the way--an' where'll you be?"

"Listen, Joe," the woman had risen and stood facing him, "it ain't right
to go huntin' him that way. I don't know if I c'n make you see it--like
I do. You ain't a coward, Joe--you've always come through like a man.
Everyone knows that. But if you go huntin' Purdy it would be because you