The Desire of the Moth; and the Come On

made swift and jealous search through the slow hours of afternoon. It commandeered the V H Saddle horses in the corral; it searched for sign in the soft earth of the wandering draws between the

ined by twos and threes from hour to hour till the number rose to above a score. A has

to be a base and cowardly murderer, out of law, whom it were most righteous to harry; else, as the storied juryman

-questions and foolish answers. Stella Vorhis had been banished to her own room an

ringle, adducing the Gadsden House affair and his subsequent companying with Foy as proof positive of Foy's innocence. That no such accusati

ur's endeavor, "I think you're telling a pack of lies

gray goate

lies if I want to," h

may very well have ridden here alone before Vorhis got here. I've known t

s furious to find such a man allied with Foy's foes-certain sign that other decent blockheads would do likewise. "Matt Lisner tells you Kit Foy is a murderer and you bel

y," stammered Bres

as leaving before Marr was killed-or before you say Marr was killed. Why don't yo

ng there still-quietly," said the sheriff. "Foy isn't there-and the Bar C

k, and rumpled in his chair, ya

e in the yard-and there's a heap of it about ropes and lynching, for instance. If he hasn't run away yet, he'd better-and I'll tell him so if I see him. Stubby, red-faced, spindlin', thickset,

third inquisitor, breathed hard through his nose. Anastacio Barela, the fourth and last inquisitor, maintained unmoved the disinterested attitude he

oming to his query Pri

o you and your nose? You look like someone had spread you

r to have seen this insolent Pringle before. The sheriff's face mottled with wrath. Pringle reflected swiftly: The sheriff's rage hinted strongly t

ly, Pringle decided, these two, at least, could expect no direct information from their persistent questionings; what they hoped for was unconscious betrayal by some slip of the tongue. As for youn

Pringle shared only with the murderer himself and with that murderer's accomplices, if any. So m

awed sheriff into unwise speech. And inattentive Anastacio had a shrewd surmise at Pringle's design. He k

face. "Granted that the Major might have a motive for shielding Foy-he may even b

ld friend of the Major's. I'm his guest, eating his grub and drinking his baccy; if he sees fit to t

" said the sheriff. "

wisp of his frosted hair, the better to scrutinize, with insulting slowness, the

riff le

nt cur-dog!

about the liar. You're mighty certain, seems to me. Why? How do you know I'm lying? For I am lying-I'll not deceive you. I'm lying; you know I'm lying; I know that you know I'm lying: and you apprehend clearly th

yourself," said the angry sheriff, "w

s this to-day or yes

r. "You never were a

said

poised, his weight on the balls of his feet, ready for a spring. The sheriff paused midway of a step; his mottled

in here. We can't get nothing f

one that tried to be contemptuous but

s gentlest tone, "be well advi

hange of venue as a diversion from his late indiscretion. "If, in the performance of my duty,

t!" said the

I think the Major has

on't bother th

oing to

air to the floor, at the same time unc

ly. "Miss Vorhis has already told us that she has not s

le

hurt to have you think I'm a cur-dog. You're the sheriff, doin' your duty, as you so aptly observed. And you've done took my gun away. But if bein' a cur-dog should happen to vex me-honest, Sheriff, I'm that se

hussy! You k

w did you know I lied? You say so, mighty positive-but what are your reasons? Why don't you

ain removed themsel

somehow I am quite

Mr. Br

one you were sure of. But the second man, the one you had hopes of-who should that be bu

f licked h

going to stay her

Wesley Pringle. "You'l

hat I have to say to an

ll not let me ou

me half of a grave injustice. In this particular instance-for this day and date only-I am as pure as a

ame, why?" dem

ajor. "Let me show you that Matt Lisner never thought Foy was guilty. Foy

ried Pringle. But Vorhi

eally killed Dick Marr he might have gone to any oth

hant in his turn. "Thanks, Major, for the information, though

elcome this chance to get rid of him. Make no mistake, Breslin. I was not wanted here. I wasn't asked and none of my people were brought along. I tagged along, though-to wait. It's one of the best little things I do-waitin

look of hate

any danger of anything like that?"

That's an old g

eagan. His six-shoot

re's a lot of the Barelas, Ben. I'll tell you what I'll do, though-I'll slip the idea to my crowd, and any time you want to kill me on an even break, no Barela or A

yone wants to take him-alive. Pass the word to your friends, Breslin,

do you mean?" sh

, I mean jus

ome more pussy-foot posse-three, six, eleven hungry men. Have they got Foy? No; they have not got Foy. Is he up? He is up. Look who's here to

n rode into

, Sheriff," s

ateur. They'll be here directly. You, either, Creagan. Else I'

spurred feet in haste; three

d Pringle, rising with outstretched arms. "And m

ew a startled questi

lipped swiftly bac

you, sir," s

ng to disown me! Joe's go

d bristly old warrior with a

s going on her

ng, if you don't mode

you bellow like the

, meet Mr

er, chief of police, ex-ranger, and, for this occasion, deputy sheriff. "I got no

or. "Tell us how about it. Here, I'll light the

belligerent fin

m ashamed of you! Let Vorhis pull the wool over your eyes,

t did you

you sent out found Foy'

's horse?" queri

horse-that big cal

t you foll

hey pottered round tryin' to find some trace of Foy-blind fools!-till I met up with 'em. I'd done gathered in that mizzable red-headed Joe Cowan on a give-out horse, cl

e do you figu

"like Enoch when he was translated into all Eu

rated sheriff. "Don't you reckon, Nueces, that Cowan brought Foy a baref

u see, if Foy had tried to get away by hard riding he would have had a fresh horse, not the one he rode from Las Uvas, and you wouldn't have found a penful of fresh horses to chase him with? Not in a thousand years! That was to make it nice and easy for

eel justified in hunting out the rough places

up north. We went over, and 'twas Hargis, the Major's buckaroo, throwin' in a bunch from the round-up. He didn't know nothin' and

he know whe

s hell what men will do for a little dirty money! Seems there's a cave near the top of the least of them two buttes-t

the room. He now plucked

reward-twenty-five hundred?" he

k starve or work-he tacked on a thousand more. Dead or alive!" He looked down at Pringle's face, at Pringle's working fing

d colloquy the old

get clear on foot. Thirty mile to the next water-we'd find his tracks and catch him. But he might make a break to get away, at that. Never can tell about a he-man like that. We can't take no chances. We'll pick a bite of supper and then we surrou

eagan. "What would we look like, watc

o be empty? Excuse me! I'd druther get three grand heehaws and a tiger for bein' ridiculous than to have folks tiptoe by a-whisperin'

guard on the Major and this fresh guy, Pringle," said the sher

old noddle some of us are going to be festerin' in Abraham's bosom before we earn that reward mon

ined Applegate. "Sure, I'll stay. And the Pringle

ted Breslin. "I'll keep an eye on him. He can eat with her

ugged his

Foy's caught. She might bring

r with me going out an

in

r mouth," replied the sheriff. "I'll send

he cook's fire in t

were left alone, "is that right about the

u know where he is now. Why didn't you t

any reward. Besides, him and me spli

a damn

arette and walked to the table. "All the same, you're making a mistake. You hadn't ought to roil me. Ju

ture of you

s what we call in theatrical circles a practical door. Along towa

higher. Swifter than thought he hurled it at his warder's head. The blazing lamp struck Applegate between the eyes. Pringle's fist flashed up and smote him grievousl

the sound of rushing feet without the wall. Pringle crouched in the deep shadow of the wall, groped his way to the long row of watering troughs, and wormed

hullabaloo; Pringle heard their shouts; he saw th

led again as the searchers straggled back, vociferous. P

n get

actor, th

ar Go-

out thirteen hundre

man! Where do

uch another break once

're you c

giving some more hist

nd

's pretty

ole and near bro

r come from, anyway? Ne

was all crowdin' up for su

ll and repeat if he ho

dding a vivid desc

swered, raisi

ot to beat him to

to your little old cave. Robbins, while we snatch a bite you bunch what canteens we've got and fill 'em u

ave a pillow at you, R

top to eat,"

the Marr killing and is just running away to save his own precious neck," said the sheriff. "We'll scatter out around the hill when we get

ty-larrup! Come on, anybody with more brains than belly-I'm off to light a line of soap weeds on that hill so this Mr. Pringle-With-the-Punch don't walk himself by. If he wants up he'll have to hoof it around the other side of the hill. We won't make any light on the north side. Tha

leasure; his hope had been otherwise. He heard the sound of hurried mounting; from the thunder of galloping hoo

e set them on the ground within easy reach of Mr. Pringle's hand. Acting on this hint Mr. Pringle's hand withdrew a canteen, quite unostentatiously. An unnecessary precaution, as it turned out; Mr. Rob

" called Robbin

s, Pringle answered in the vo

n't no hawg. Wasn't