One sweeping visitation of death, and then the night-riders had
rushed away. Nor was this all, for Sheriff Pete Glass, hearing of the
tragedy, had ridden to Rickett, the county seat, and from this strategic
point of vantage he was sending out a call for the most practised fighters
on the mountain-desert. He wanted twenty men proved beyond the shadow of
question for courage, endurance, speed, and surety in action.
"And," concluded the store-keeper, fixing his eye upon Lee Haines, "if you
want a long ride free of charge, and ten bucks a day with chow thrown in--
some of you gents ought to go to Rickett and chin with Pete."
Haines waited to hear no more. He even forgot to ask for the Barry mail,
swung into his saddle, and rode with red spurs back to the cabin in the
mountains. There he drew Buck Daniels aside, and they walked among the
rocks while Haines told his story. When it was ended they sat on adjoining
boulders and chucked pebbles aimlessly into the emptiness beyond the cliff.
"Maybe," said Buck suddenly, "it wasn't Dan at all. He sure wouldn't be
ridin' with no crowd of gents like that.
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