CHAPTER XXI
ONE WAY OUT
In a room of the Salton place, on the evening of the next day afterCalder's death, sat Silent, with Kilduff, Rhinehart, and Jordan abouthim. Purvis was out scouting for the news of Haines, whose longabsence commenced to worry the gang. Several times they tried toinduce Kate to come out and talk with them, but she was resolutein staying alone in the room which they had assigned to her.Consequently, to while away the time, Bill Kilduff produced his mouthorgan and commenced a dolorous ballad. He broke short in the midst ofit and stared at the door. The others followed the direction of hiseyes and saw Black Bart standing framed against the fading daylight.They started up with curses; Rhinehart drew his gun.
"Wait a minute," ordered Silent.
"Damn it!" exclaimed Jordan, "don't you see Whistling Dan's wolf? Ifthe wolf's here, Dan isn't far behind."
Silent shook his head.
"If there's goin' to be any shootin' of that wolf leave it to HalPurvis. He's jest nacherally set his heart on it. An' Whistlin' Danain't with the wolf. Look! there's a woman's glove hangin' out of hismouth. He picked that up in the willows, maybe, an' followed the girlhere. Watch him!"
The wolf slunk across the room to the door which opened on Kate'sapartment. Kate threw the door open--cried out at the sight ofBart--and then snatched up the glove he let drop at her feet.
"No cause for gettin' excited," said Silent. "Whistlin' Dan ain'tcomin' here after the wolf."
For answer she slammed the door.
At the same moment Hal Purvis entered. He stepped directly to Silent,and stood facing him with his hands resting on his hips. His smile wasmarvellously unpleasant.
"Well," said the chief, "what's the news? You got eloquent eyes, Hal,but I want words."
"The news is plain hell," said Purvis, "Haines--"
"What of him?"
"He's in Elkhead!"
"Elkhead?"
"Whistling Dan got him at Morris's place and took him in along withthe body of Tex Calder. Jim, you got to answer for it to all of us.You went to Morris's with Lee. You come away without him and let himstay behind to be nabbed by that devil Whistlin' Dan."
"Right," said Kilduff, and his teeth clicked. "Is that playin' fair?"
"Boys," said Silent solemnly, "if I had knowed that Whistlin' Dan wasthere, I'd of never left Haines to stay behind. Morris said nothin'about Calder havin' a runnin' mate. Me an' Haines was in the upstairsroom an' about suppertime up came a feller an' told us that Tex Calderhad jest come into the dinin'-room. That was all. Did Whistlin' Danget Lee from behind?"
"He got him from the front. He beat Lee to the draw so bad that Haineshardly got his gun out of its leather!"
"The feller that told you that lied," said Silent. "Haines is as fastwith his shootin' iron as I am--almost!"
The rest of the outlaws nodded to each other significantly.
Purvis went on without heeding the interruption. "After I found outabout the fight I swung towards Elkhead. About five miles out of townI met up with Rogers, the deputy sheriff at Elkhead. I thought you hadhim fixed for us, Jim?"
"Damn his hide, I did. Is he playing us dirt now?"
"A frosty mornin' in December was nothin' to the way he talked."
"Cut all that short," said Rhinehart, "an' let's know if Rogers isgoin' to be able to keep the lynching party away from Haines!"
"He says he thinks it c'n be done for a couple of days," said Purvis,"but the whole range is risin'. All the punchers are ridin' intoElkhead an' wantin' to take a look at the famous Lee Haines. Rogerssays that when enough of 'em get together they'll take the law intheir own hands an' nothin' can stop 'em then."
"Why don't the rotten dog give Haines a chance to make a getaway?"asked Silent. "Ain't we paid him his share ever since we startedworkin' these parts?"
"He don't dare take the chance," said Purvis. "He says the boys aretalkin' mighty strong. They want action. They've put up a guard allaround the jail an' they say that if Haines gets loose they'll stringup Rogers. Everyone's wild about the killin' of Calder. Jim, ol'Saunderson, he's put up five thousand out of his own pocket to raisethe price on your head!"
"An' this Whistlin' Dan," said Silent. "I s'pose they're makin' a heroout of him?"
"Rogers says every man within ten miles is talkin' about him. Thewhole range'll know of him in two days. He made a nice play when hegot in. You know they's five thousand out on Haines's head. It wasoffered to him by Rogers as soon as Dan brought Lee in. What d'youthink he done? Pocketed the cheque? No, he grabbed it, an' tore it upsmall: 'I ain't after no blood money,' he says."
"No," said Silent. "He ain't after no money--he's after me!"
"Tomorrow they bury Calder. The next day Whistlin' Dan'll be on ourtrail again--an' he'll be playin' the same lone hand. Rogers offeredhim a posse. He wouldn't take it."
"They's one pint that ain't no nearer bein' solved," said Bill Kilduffin a growl, "an' that's how you're goin' to get Haines loose. Silent,it's up to you. Which you rode away leavin' him behind."
Silent took one glance around that waiting circle. Then he nodded.
"It's up to me. Gimme a chance to think."
He started walking up and down the room, muttering. At last he stoppedshort.
"Boys, it can be done! They's nothin' like talkin' of a woman to makea man turn himself into a plumb fool, an' I'm goin' to make a fool outof Whistlin' Dan with this girl Kate!"
"But how in the name of God c'n you make her go out an' talk to him?"said Rhinehart.
"Son," answered Silent, "they's jest one main trouble with you--youtalk a hell of a pile too much. When I've done this I'll tell you howit was figgered out!"