“That’s what a lot of us thought,”
he said at last, “but she breaks all the rules.
She’s got her heart set on another man, an’
she’s that funny sort that don’t never
love twice. Maybe you’ll guess who the man
is?”
Buck frowned thoughtfully to cover his growing excitement.
“Give it up, Buck,” advised Purvis.
“The feller she loves is Whistlin’ Dan
Barry. You wouldn’t think no woman would
look without shiverin’ at that hell-raiser.
But she’s goin’ on a hunger strike on account
of him. Since yesterday she wouldn’t eat
none. She says she’ll starve herself to
death unless we turn her loose. The hell of it
is that she will. I know it an’ so does
the rest of the boys.”
“Starve herself to death?” said Buck exuberantly.
“Wait till I get hold of her!”
“You?”
“Me!”
Purvis viewed him with compassion.
“Me bein’ your friend, Buck,” he
said, “take my tip an’ don’t try
no fool stunts around that girl. Which she once
belongs to Whistlin’ Dan Barry an’ therefore
she’s got the taboo mark on her for any other
man. Everything he’s ever owned is different,
damned different!”
His voice lowered to a tone which was almost awe.
“Speakin’ for myself, I don’t hanker
after his hoss like Bill Kilduff; or his girl, like
Lee Haines; or his life, like the chief. All I
want is a shot at that wolf-dog, that Black Bart!”
“You look sort of het up, Hal.”
“He come near puttin’ his teeth into my
leg down at Morgan’s place the day Barry cleaned
up the chief.”
“Why, any dog is apt to take a snap at a feller.”
“This ain’t a dog. It’s a wolf.
An’ Whistlin’ Dan—” he
stopped.
“You look sort of queer, Hal. What’s
up?”
“You won’t think I’m loco?”
“No.”
“They’s some folks away up north that
thinks a man now an’ then turns into a wolf.”
Buck nodded and shrugged his shoulders. A little
chill went up and down his back.
“Here’s my idea, Buck. I’ve
been thinkin’—no, it’s more
like dreamin’ than thinkin’—that
Dan Barry is a wolf turned into a man, an’ Black
Bart is a man turned into a wolf.”
“Hal, you been drinkin’.”
“Maybe.”
“What made you think—” began
Buck, but the long rider put spurs to his horse and
once more broke into a fast gallop.
“THE MANHANDLING”
It was close to sunset time when they reached the
old Salton place, where they found Silent sitting
on the porch with Haines, Kilduff, Jordan, and Rhinehart.
They stood up at sight of the newcomers and shouted
a welcome. Buck waved his hand, but his thoughts
were not for them. The music he had heard Dan
whistle formed in his throat. It reached his
lips not in sound but as a smile.
At the house he swung from the saddle and shook hands
with Jim Silent. The big outlaw retained Buck’s
fingers.
