hered the others
swiftly around him. They cursed deeply with astonishment, for what
they saw was the marshal's badge of Tex Calder. The number on it was
known throughout the mountain-desert, and seeing it, the worst of
Dan's enemies stammered, gaped, and could not speak. There were more
impartial men who could. In five minutes the trial of Whistling Dan
was under way. The jury was every cowpuncher present. The judge was
public opinion. It was a grey-haired man who finally leaped upon the
bar and summed up all opinion in a brief statement.

"Whatever Whistlin' Dan has done before," he said, "this day he's done
a man-sized job in a man's way. Morris, before he died, said enough to
clear up most of this lad's past, particular about the letter from Jim
Silent that talked of a money bribe. Morris didn't have a chance to
swear to what he said, but a dying man speaks truth. Lee Haines had
cleared up most of the rest. We can't hold agin Dan what he done in
breakin' jail with Haines. Dan Barry was a marshal. He captured Haines
and then let the outlaw go. He had a right to do what he wanted as
long as he finally got Haines back. And Haines has told us that when
he was set free Barry said he would get him again. And Barry did get
him again. Remember that, and he got all the rest of Silent's gang,
and now there lies Jim Silent dead. They's two things to remember. The
first is that Whistlin' Dan has rid away without any shootin' irons on
his hip. That looks as if he's come to the end of his long trail. The
second is that he was a bunkie of Tex Calder, an' a man Tex could
trust for the avengin' of his death is good enough for me."

There was a pause after this speech, and during the quiet the
cowpunchers were passing from hand to hand the marshal's badge which
Calder, as he died, had given to Dan. The bright small shield was a
more convincing proof than a hundred arguments. The bitterest of
Dan's enemies realized that the crimes of which he was accused were
supported by nothing stronger than blind rumour. The marshal's badge
and the dead body of Jim Silent kept them mute. So an illegal judge
and one hundred illegal jurymen found Whistling Dan "not guilty."

Buck Daniels took horse and galloped for the Cumberland house with the
news of the verdict. He knew that Whistling Dan was there.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

THE WILD GEESE

So when the first chill days of the late autumn came the four were
once more together, Dan, Kate, Blac