The Second Man

The sheriff was on his feet, whining with eagerness and with the rest of his men he sent a shower of lead splashing vainly into the deeper night beside the mountain, where the path wound down.

"It's done! Hold up, lads!" called Pete Glass."He's beat us!"The firing ceased, and they heard the rush of the hoofs along the graveled slope and the clanging on rocks.

"It's done," repeated the sheriff."How?"And he stood staring blankly, with a touch or horror in his face.

"By God, Mat's plugged."

"Mat Henshaw? Wha--?"

"Clean through the head."

He lay in an oddly twisted heap, as though every bone in his body were broken, and when they drew him about they found the red mark in his forehead and even made out the dull surprise in his set face.There had been no pain in that death, the second for the sake of Grey Molly.

"The other two!" said the sheriff, more to himself than to Vic, who stood beside him.

"Easy, Pete," he cautioned."You got nothin' agin Haines and Daniels."The sheriff flashed at him that hungry, baffled glance.

"Maybe I can find something.You Gregg, keep your mouth shut and stand back.Halloo!"He sent a long call quavering between the lonely mountains.

"You yonder--Lee Haines! D'you give up to the law?"A burst of savage laughter flung back at him, and then: "Why the hell should I?""Haines, I give you fair warnin'! For resistin' the law and interferin', Iask you, do you surrender?"

"Who are you?"

The big voice fairly swallowed the rather shrill tone of the sheriff.

"I'm sheriff Pete Glass."

"You lie.Whoever heard of a sheriff come sneakin' round like a coyote lookin' for dead meat?"Pete Glass grinned with rage.

"Haines, you ain't much better'n spoiled meat if you keep back.I gave you till I count ten--""Why, you bob-tailed skunk," shouted a new voice."You bone-spavined, pink-eyed rat-catcher," continued this very particular describer, "what have you got on us? Come out and dicker and we'll do the same!"The sheriff sighed, softly, deeply.

"I thought maybe they wouldn't get down to talk," he murmured.But since the last chance for a battle was gone, he stepped fearlessly from behind his rock and advanced into the open.Two tall figures came to meet him.

"Now," said Lee Haines, stalking forward."One bad move, just the glint of a single gun from the rest of you sheep thieves, and I'll tame your pet sheriff and send him to hell for a model."They halted, close to each other, the two big men, Haines in the front, and the sheriff.

"You're Lee Haines?"

"You've named me."

"And you're Buck Daniels?"

"That's me."

"Gents, you've resisted an officer of the law in the act of makin' an arrest.I s'pose you know what that means?"Big Lee Haines laughed.

"Don't start a bluff, sheriff.I know a bit about the law.""Maybe by experience?"

It was an odd thing to watch the three, every one of them a practiced fighter, every one of them primed for trouble, but each ostentatiously keeping his hands away from the holsters.