tly. It was like one of those sounds of the wind, a thing
to guess at rather than to know, but the effect upon Satan and Black
Bart was startling.

The ears of the stallion dropped flat on his neck. He began to slink
along with a gliding step which was very like the stealthy pace of
Black Bart, stealing ahead. His footfall was as silent as if he had
been shod with felt. Meantime Dan ran over a plan of action. He saw
very clearly that he had little time for action. Those motionless
guards around the jail made his task difficult enough, but there was a
still greater danger. The crowds in the two saloons would be starting
up the street for Haines before long. Their silence told him that.

A clatter of hoofs came behind him. He did not turn his head, but his
hand dropped down to his revolver butt. The fast riding horseman swept
and shot on down the street, leaving a pungent though invisible cloud
of dust behind him. He stopped in front of Rogers's house and darted
up the steps and through the door. Acting upon a premonition, Dan
dismounted a short distance from Rogers's house and ran to the door.
He opened it softly and found himself in a narrow hall dimly lighted
by a smoking lamp. Voices came from the room to his right.

"What d'you mean, Hardy?" the deputy sheriff was saying.

"Hell's startin'!"

"There's a good many kinds of hell. Come out with it, Lee. I ain't no
mind reader."

"They're gettin' ready for the big bust!"

"What big bust?"

"It ain't no use bluffin'. Ain't Silent told you that I'm on the
inside of the game?"

"You fool!" cried Rogers. "Don't use that name!"

Dan slipped a couple of paces down the hall and flattened himself
against the wall just as the door opened. Rogers looked out, drew a
great breath of relief, and went back into the room. Dan resumed his
former position.

"Now talk fast!" said Rogers.

"About time for you to drop that rotten bluff. Why, man, I could even
tell you jest how much you've cost Jim Silent."

Rogers growled: "Tell me what's up."

"The boys are goin' for the jail tonight. They'll get out Haines an'
string him up."

"It's comin' to him. He's played a hard game for a long time."

"An' so have you, Rogers, for a damn long time!"

Rogers swallowed the insult, apparently.

"What can I do?" he asked plaintively. "I'm willin' to give Silent and
his gang a square deal."

"You should of done something while they was only a half-dozen
cowpunchers in town. Now t