And yet it was long after dusk before the cavalcade of men turned their horses' heads toward the neck of the basin, to begin the long, hard ride over the plains to the spot where Sanderson, Williams, and the others had been ambushed by Dale's men.
A rumor came to the men, however, just before they started, which made several of them look at one another--for there had been those who had seen Ben Nyland riding down the street toward Maison's bank in the dusk, his face set and grim and a wild light in his eyes.
"Maison has been guzzled--he's deader than a salt mackerel!" came the word, leaping from lip to lip.
Sheriff Warde grinned.

"Serves him right," he declared; "that's one less for us to hang!".