And they looked
as black as dead men, and all sort of grinnin' down at me.
"But when I got to McCauley's, there stood a hoss right in front of the
house. It didn't take me two second to make the saddle-change. And then
I was off agin!"
A sigh of relief came from Byrne and Kate.
"That hoss was a beauty. Not long-legged like Bess, nor half so fast,
but he was jest right for the hills. Climbed like a goat and didn't let
up. Up and up we goes. The wind blows the clouds away when we gets to
the top of the climb and I looks down into the valley all white in the
moonlight. And across the valley I seen two little shadows slidin',
smooth and steady. It was Dan and Satan and Black Bart!"
"Buck!"
"My heart, it stood plumb still! I gives my hoss the spurs and we went
down the next slope. And I don't remember nothin' except that we got to
the Circle K Bar after a million years, 'most, and when we got there the
piebald flops on the ground--near dead. But I made the change and
started off agin, and that next hoss was even better than the piebald--a
sure goer! When he started I could tell by his gait what he was, and I
looked up at the sky----"
He stopped, embarrassed.
"And thanked God, Buck?"
"Kate, I ain't ashamed if maybe I did. But since then I ain't seen or
heard Dan, but all the time I rode I was expecting to hear his whistle
behind me, close up."
All the life died from her face.
"No, Buck, if he'd a followed all the way he would have caught you in
spite of your relay.
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