was innocent--leap from a second-story window of the sheriff's
office onto the back of his old pal, and be carried safely over the
border where the hellhounds can't touch him until his innocence is
proved by Estelle St. Clair, the New York society girl, whose
culture demanded a gentleman but whose heart demanded a man. How are
we to know this? We only know that Buck Benson always has to kiss
his horse good-by at this spot in the drama.

Merton Gill is impressively Buck Benson. His sobs are choking him.
And though Gashwiler's delivery horse is not a pinto, and could
hardly get over the border ahead of a sheriff's posse, the scene is
affecting.

"Good-by, again, old pal, and God bless ye!" sobs Merton.




CHAPTER II

THAT NIGHT--THE APARTMENTS OF CLIFFORD ARMYTAGE


Merton Gill mealed at the Gashwiler home. He ate his supper in moody
silence, holding himself above the small gossip of the day that
engaged Amos and his wife. What to him meant the announcement that
Amos expected a new line of white goods on the morrow, or Mrs.
Gashwiler's version of a regrettable incident occurring at that
afternoon's meeting of the Entre Nous Five Hundred Club, in which
the score had been juggled adversely to Mrs. Gashwiler, resulting in