in clearing of whistling dan and tex calder marshal had turned into his blankets once more there was no thought of sleep in dan's mind when heavy breathing of sleeper began he rose and commenced to pace up and down on farther side of open space two pairs of glowing eyes followed him in every move black bart who trailed him up and down during first few turns he made now sat down and watched his master with a wistful gaze black stallion who lay more like a dog than a horse on ground kept his ears pricked forward as if expecting some order once or twice he whinnied very softly and finally dan sat down beside satan his shoulders leaned against satiny side and his arms flung out along stallion's back several times he felt hot breath against his cheek as horse turned a curious head towards him but he paid no attention even when stallion whinnied a question in his ear in his heart was a numb strange feeling which made him weak he was even blind to fact that black bart at last slipped into shadows of willows

presently something cold touched his chin he found himself staring into yellow-green eyes of black bart who panted from his run and now dropped from his mouth something which fell into dan's lap it was glove of kate cumberland in grasp of his long nervous fingers how small it was and yet hand which had wrinkled leather was strong enough to hold heart of a man he slipped and caught shaggy black head of bart between his hands wolf knew--in some mysterious way he knew

touch of sympathy unnervedhim all his sorrow and his weakness burst on his soul in a single wave a big tear struck shining nose of wolf

"bart" he whispered "did you fitter on plumb bustin' my heart pal"

to avoid those large melancholy eyes bart pressed his head inside of his master's arms

"delilah" whispered dan

after that not a sound came from three horse dog or man black bart curdled up at feet of his master and seemed to sleep but every now and then an ear raised or an eye twitched open he was on guard against a danger which he did not understand horse also with a high head scanned circling willows alert but man for whom stallion and wolf watched gave no heed to either there was a vacant and dreamy expression in his eye as if he was searching his own inner heart and found there greatest enemy of all all night they sat in this manner silent moveless animals watching against world man watching against himself before dawn he roused himself suddenly crossed to sleeping marshal and touched him on arm

"it's time we hit trail" he said as calder sat up in blanket

"what's happened isn't it our job to comb willows"

"silent ain't in willows"

calder started to his feet

"how do you know"

"they ain't close to us that's all i know"

tex smiled incredulously

"i suppose" he said good humouredly "that your instinct brought you this message"

"instinct" repeated dan blankly "i dunno"

calder grew serious

"we'll take a chance that you may be right at least we can ride down river bank and see if there are any fresh tracks in sand if silent started this morning i have an idea he'll head across river and line out for railroad"

in twenty minutes their breakfast was eaten and they were in saddle sun had not yet risen when they came out of willows to broad shallow basin of river in spring when snow of mountains melted that river filled from bank to bank with a yellow torrent at dry season of year it was a dirty little creek meandering through sands down bank they rode at a sharp trot for a mile and a half until black bart who scouted ahead of them in his gliding wolf-trot came to an abrupt stop dan spoke to satan and stallion broke into a swift gallop which left pony of tex calder labouring in rear when they drew rein beside wolf they found seven distinct tracks of horses which went down bank of river and crossed basin calder turned with a wide-eyed amazement to dan

"you're right again" he said not without a touch of vexation in his voice "but dog stopped at these tracks how does he know we are hunting for silent's crew"

"i dunno" said dan "maybe he jest suspects"

"they can't have a long start of us" said calder "let's hit trail we'll get them before night"

"no" said dan "we won't"

"why won't we"

"i've seen silent's hoss and i've ridden him if rest of his gang have same kind of hoss flesh you c'n never catch him with that cayuse of yours"

"maybe not today" said calder "but in two days we'll run him down seven horses can't travel as two in a long chase"

they started out across basin keeping to tracks of silent's horses it was marshal's idea that outlaws would head on a fairly straight line for railroad and accordingly when they lost track of seven horses they kept to this direction twice during day they verified their course by information received once from a range rider and once from a man in a dusty buck-board both of these had sighted fast travelling band but each had seen it pass an hour or two before calder and dan arrived such tidings encouraged marshal to keep his horse at an increasing speed but in middle of afternoon though black satan showed little or no signs of fatigue cattle-pony was nearly blown and they were forced to reduce their pace to ordinary dog-trot