"How long have you been here?" he asked.
"About a day."
"Have you seen anything of Silent here among the willows?"
"No."
"Do you think he's still here?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I dunno. I'll stay here till I find him among the trees or he breaks
away into the open."
"How'll you know when he leaves the willows?"
Whistling Dan was puzzled.
"I dunno," he answered. "Somethin' will tell me when he gets far away
from me--he an' his men."
"It's an inner sense, eh? Like the smell of the bloodhound?" said
Calder, but his eyes were strangely serious.
"This day's about done," he went on. "Have you any objections to me
camping with you here?"
Not a cowpuncher within five hundred miles but would be glad of such
redoubted company. They went back to Calder's horse.
"We can start for my clearing," said Dan. "Bart'll bring the hoss.
Fetch him in."
The wolf took the dangling bridle reins and led on the cowpony. Calder
observed his performance with starting eyes, but he was averse to
asking questions. In a few moments they came out on a small open
space. The ground was covered with a quantity of dried bunch grass
which a glorious black stallion was cropping.
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