ngs cross-eyed. Here's my game. What do you think they'd do in
Elkhead if a letter came for Dan Barry along about now?"

"The boys must be pretty hot," said the sheriff. "I suppose the
letter'd be opened."

"It would," said the outlaw. "You're sure a clever feller, Gus. You
c'n see a white hoss in the sunlight. Now what d'you suppose they'd
think if they opened a letter addressed to Dan Barry and read
something like this:

"'Dear Dan: You made great play for L.H. None of us is going to
forget it. Maybe the thing for you to do is to lay low for a while.
Then join us any time you want to. We all think nobody could of worked
that stunt any smoother than you done. The rest of the boys say that
two thousand ain't enough for the work you've done. They vote that you
get an extra thousand for it. I'm agreeable about that, and when you
get short of cash just drop up and see us--you know where.

"'That's a great bluff you've made about being on my trail. Keep it
up. It'll fool everybody for a while. They'll think, maybe, that what
you did for L.H. was because he was your personal friend. They won't
suspect that you're now one of us. Adios,
"'J.S.'"

Silent waited for the effect of this missive to show in Morris's face.

"Supposin' they was to read a letter like that, Gus. D'you think maybe
it'd sort of peeve them?"

"He'd be outlawed inside of two days!"

"Right. Here's the letter. An' you're goin' to see that it's delivered
in Elkhead, Morris."

The sheriff looked sombrely on the little square of white.

"I sort of think," he said at last, "that this here's the death
warrant for Whistlin' Dan Barry."

"So do I," grinned Silent, considerably thirsty for action. "That's
your chance to make one of your rarin', tarin' speeches. Then you hop
into the telegraph office an' send a wire to the Governor askin' that
a price be put on the head of the bloodthirsty desperado, Dan Barry,
commonly known as Whistlin' Dan."

"It's like something out of a book," said the sheriff slowly. "It's
like some damned horror story."

"The minute you get the reply to that telegram swear in forty deputies
and announce that they's a price on Barry's head. So long, Gus. This
little play'll make the boys figger you're the most efficient sheriff
that never pulled a gun."

He turned his horse, laughing loudly, and the sheriff, with that
laughter in his ears, rode back toward