s his hotel with a downward
head.

* * * * *

All day at the Daniels's house the fever grew perceptibly, and that
night the family held a long consultation.

"They's got to be somethin' done," said Buck. "I'm goin' to ride into
town tomorrow an' get ahold of Doc Geary."

"There ain't no use of gettin' that fraud Geary," said Mrs. Daniels
scornfully. "I think that if the boy c'n be saved I c'n do it as well
as that doctor. But there ain't no doctor c'n help him. The trouble
with Dan ain't his wound--it's his mind that's keepin' him low."

"His mind?" queried old Sam.

"Listen to him now. What's all that talkin' about Delilah?"

"If it ain't Delilah it's Kate," said Buck. "Always one of the two
he's talkin' about. An' when he talks of them his fever gets worse.
Who's Delilah, an' who's Kate?"

"They's one an' the same person," said Mrs. Daniels. "It do beat all
how blind men are!"

"Are we now?" said her husband with some heat. "An' what good would it
do even if we knowed that they was the same?"

"Because if we could locate the girl they's a big chance she'd bring
him back to reason. She'd make his brain quiet, an' then his body'll
take care of itself, savvy?"

"But they's a hundred Kates in the range," said Sam. "Has he said her
last name, Buck, or has he given you any way of findin' out where she
lives?"

"There ain't no way," brooded Buck, "except that when he talks about
her sometimes he speaks of Lee Haines like he wanted to kill him.
Sometimes he's dreamin' of havin' Lee by the throat. D'you honest
think that havin' the girl here would do any good, ma?"

"Of course it would," she answered. "He's in love, that poor boy is,
an' love is worse than bullets for some men. I don't mean you or Sam.
Lord knows you wouldn't bother yourselves none about a woman."

Her eyes challenged them.

"He talks about Lee havin' the girl?" asked Sam.

"He sure does," said Buck, "which shows that he's jest ravin'. How
could Lee have the girl, him bein' in jail at Elkhead?"

"But maybe Lee had her before Whistlin' Dan got him at Morris's place.
Maybe she's up to Silent's camp now."

"A girl in Jim Silent's camp?" repeated Buck scornfully. "Jim'd as
soon have a ton of lead hangin' on his shoulders."

"Would he though?" broke in Mrs. Daniels. "You're considerable young,
Buck, to be sayin' what men'll do where they's women concerned. Where
is this camp?"

"I dunno," said Buck evasively