"Well," said the chief, "what's the news? You got eloquent eyes, Hal,
but I want words."
"The news is plain hell," said Purvis, "Haines--"
"What of him?"
"He's in Elkhead!"
"Elkhead?"
"Whistling Dan got him at Morris's place and took him in along with
the body of Tex Calder. Jim, you got to answer for it to all of us.
You went to Morris's with Lee. You come away without him and let him
stay behind to be nabbed by that devil Whistlin' Dan."
"Right," said Kilduff, and his teeth clicked. "Is that playin' fair?"
"Boys," said Silent solemnly, "if I had knowed that Whistlin' Dan was
there, I'd of never left Haines to stay behind. Morris said nothin'
about Calder havin' a runnin' mate. Me an' Haines was in the upstairs
room an' about suppertime up came a feller an' told us that Tex Calder
had jest come into the dinin'-room. That was all. Did Whistlin' Dan
get Lee from behind?"
"He got him from the front. He beat Lee to the draw so bad that Haines
hardly got his gun out of its leather!"
"The feller that told you that lied," said Silent. "Haines is as fast
with his shootin' iron as I am--almost!"
The rest of the outlaws nodded to each other significantly.
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