it a full two hours."

"I'll make it two hours and five minutes," said Cassidy. "Hittin'
north are you, Jolly Roger?"

"I'm hittin'--bushward," replied the outlaw. "I'm going where it's
plenty thick and hard to travel, Cassidy. Goodby--"

He was gone. He hit straight north, making noise as he went, but
once in the timber he swung southward, and plunged through the
creek with Peter under his arm. Not until they had traveled a good
half mile over the plain did Jolly Roger speak. Then he said,
speaking directly at Peter,

"Cassidy thinks I'll sure hit for the North country again, Pied-
Bot. But we're foolin' him. I've sort of planned on something like
this happening, and right now we're hittin' for the tail-end of
Cragg's Ridge where there's a mess of rock that the devil himself
can hardly get into. We've got to do it, boy. We can't leave the
girl--just now. We can't leave--her--"

Jolly Roger's voice choked. Then he paused for a moment, and bent
over to put his hand on Peter.

"If it hadn't been for you, Peter--Cassidy would have got me--
sure. And I'm wondering, Peter--I'm wondering--why did God forget
to give a dog speech?"

Peter whined in answer, and through the darkness of the night they
went on together.