“We surrender!” called Buck within.
A cheer came from the posse. Sullivan and Johnson
ran for the window they had been told to guard.
The door on the other side of the house slammed open.
“It’s a slaughter house!” cried
one of the posse.
Dan left the sheltering rock and raced around the
house, keeping a safe distance, and dodging from rock
to rock. He saw Satan and Black Bart guarded
by two men with revolvers in their hands. He might
have shot them down, but the distance was too great
for accurate gun-play. He whistled shrilly.
The two guards wheeled towards him, and as they did
so, Black Bart, leaping, caught one by the shoulder,
whirling him around and around with the force of the
spring. The other fired at Satan, who raced off
towards the sound of the whistle. It was an easy
shot, but in the utter surprise of the instant the
bullet went wide. Before he could fire again
Satan was coming to a halt beside Dan.
“Help!” yelled the cattleman. “Whistling
Dan!”
The other guard opened fire wildly. Three men
ran from the house. All they saw was a black
shadow which melted instantly into the night.
FEAR
Into the dark he rode. Somewhere in the mountains
was Silent, and now alone. In Dan’s mouth
the old salt taste of his own blood was unforgotten.
It was a wild chase. He had only the faintest
clues to guide him, yet he managed to keep close on
the trail of the great outlaw. After several
days he rode across a tall red-roan stallion, a mere
wreck of a horse with lean sides and pendant head
and glazed eye. It was a long moment before Dan
recognized Silent’s peerless mount, Red Pete.
The outlaw had changed his exhausted horse for a common
pony. The end of the long trail must be near.
The whole range followed that chase with breathless
interest. It was like the race of Hector and
Achilles around the walls of Troy. And when they
met there would be a duel of giants. Twice Whistling
Dan was sighted. Once Jim Silent fought a running
duel with a posse fresh from Elkhead. The man
hunters were alert, but it was their secret hope that
the two famous outlaws would destroy each other, but
how the wild chase would end no one could know.
At last Buck Daniels rode to tell Kate Cumberland
strange news.
When he stumbled into the ranch house, Kate and her
father rose, white-faced. There was an expression
of waiting terror in their eyes.
“Buck!” cried Joe.
“Hush! Dad,” said Kate. “It
hasn’t come yet! Buck, what has happened?”
“The end of the world has come for Dan,”
he said. “That devil Silent—”
“Dan,” cried old Joe, and rushed around
the table to Buck.
“Silent has dared Dan to meet him at three o’clock
tomorrow afternoon in Tully’s saloon in Elkhead!
He’s held up four men in the last twenty-four
hours and told them that he’ll be at Tully’s
tomorrow and will expect Dan there!”
