“Then I’ll follow him to the end—­” he began.

The feeble accent of Calder interrupted him.

“Not that way.  Come close to me.  I can’t hear my own voice, hardly.”

Dan bowed his head.  A whisper murmured on for a moment, broken here and there as Dan nodded his head and said, “Yes!”

“Then hold up your hand, your right hand,” said Calder at last, audibly.

Dan obeyed.

“You swear it?”

“So help me God!”

“Then here’s the pledge of it!”

Calder fumbled inside his shirt for a moment, and then withdrawing his hand placed it palm down in that of Dan.  The breath of the marshal was coming in a rattling gasp.

He said very faintly:  “I’ve stopped the trails of twenty men.  It took the greatest of them all to get me.  He got me fair.  He beat me to the draw!”

He stopped as if in awe.

“He played square—­he’s a better man than I. Dan, when you get him, do it the same way—­face to face—­with time for him to think of hell before he gets there.  Partner, I’m going.  Wish me luck.”

“Tex—­partner—­good luck!”

It seemed as if that parting wish was granted, for Calder died with a smile.

When Dan rose slowly Gus Morris stepped up and laid a hand on his arm:  “Look here, there ain’t no use of bein’ sad for Tex Calder.  His business was killin’ men, an’ his own time was overdue.”

Dan turned a face that made Morris wince.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, with an attempt at bluff good nature.  “Do you hate everyone because one man is dead?  I’ll tell you what I’ll do.  I’ll loan you a buckboard an’ a pair of hosses to take Tex back to Elkhead.  As for this feller Haines, I’ll take care of him.”

“I sure need a buckboard,” said Dan slowly, “but I’ll get the loan from a—­white man!”

He turned his back sharply on the sheriff and asked if any one else had a wagon they could lend him.  One of the men had stopped at Morris’s place on his way to Elkhead.  He immediately proposed that they make the trip together.

“All right,” said Morris carelessly.  “I won’t pick trouble with a crazy man.  Come with me, Haines.”

He turned to leave the room.

“Wait!” said Dan.

Haines stopped as though someone had seized him by the shoulder.

“What the devil is this now?” asked Morris furiously.  “Stranger, d’you think you c’n run the world?  Come on with me, Haines!”

“He stays with me,” said Dan.

“By God,” began Morris, “if I thought—­”

“This ain’t no place for you to begin thinkin’,” said the man who had offered his buckboard to Dan.  “This feller made the capture an’ he’s got the right to take him into Elkhead if he wants.  They’s a reward on the head of Lee Haines.”

“The arrest is made in my county,” said Morris stoutly, “an’ I’ve got the say as to what’s to be done with a prisoner.”