The shadowy figure of a rider showed near the jail. He narrowed his
eyes and looked more closely. Another, another, another horseman
showed--four in sight on his side of the jail and probably as many
more out of his vision. Eight cattlemen guarded the place from which
he must take Lee Haines, and every one of the eight, he had no doubt,
was a picked man. Dan pulled up Satan to a walk and commenced to
whistle softly. It was like one of those sounds of the wind, a thing
to guess at rather than to know, but the effect upon Satan and Black
Bart was startling.
The ears of the stallion dropped flat on his neck. He began to slink
along with a gliding step which was very like the stealthy pace of
Black Bart, stealing ahead. His footfall was as silent as if he had
been shod with felt. Meantime Dan ran over a plan of action. He saw
very clearly that he had little time for action. Those motionless
guards around the jail made his task difficult enough, but there was a
still greater danger. The crowds in the two saloons would be starting
up the street for Haines before long. Their silence told him that.
A clatter of hoofs came behind him. He did not turn his head, but his
hand dropped down to his revolver butt.
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