"Why," he said gently, "even Satan here stumbles now an' then, but
that ain't no reason I should get rid of him. Good luck--partner!"
He shook the reins and the stallion leaped off after Calder's trotting
pony. Buck Daniels stood motionless looking after them, and his eyes
were very dim.
For an hour Dan and Tex were on the road before the sun looked over
the hills. Calder halted his horse to watch.
"Dan," he said at last, "I used to think there were only two ways of
handling men--one with the velvet touch and one with the touch of
steel. Mine has been the way of steel, but I begin to see there's a
third possibility--the touch of the panther's paw--the velvet with the
steel claws hid beneath. That's your way, and I wonder if it isn't the
best. I think Buck Daniels would be glad to die for you!"
He turned directly to Dan.
"But all this is aside from the point, which is that the whole country
is full of these silent partners of the outlaws. The law plays a lone
hand in the mountain-desert."
"You've played the lone hand and won twenty times," said Dan.
"Ay, but the twenty-first time I may fail. The difference between
success and failure in this country is just the length of time it
takes to pull a trigger--and Silent is fast with a gun.
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