In a town below the ridges and wild barrens, behind drab, gray walls old Sam had at last given up the fight. One morning he did not answer early call and they found him lying on his cot peacefully sleeping. He would not stir and seemed not to have the wiry strength that had carried him along. The warden and the doctor came. Sam was taken to the hospital and placed on a white bed. Outside the door of his room the doctor faced the warden. “The state will not be burdened over a couple of months longer by that old codger,” he said. “What ails him?” the warden asked. “What would ail any wild thing that was cooped up in one of your cells?” the doctor asked, then turned abruptly away. The warden went back to his office and looked into Sam’s file. No one had taken any interest in the case except Tex and he had written only one letter because writing was something he seldom did. The warden put the file away and made a note of what the doctor had said. 14. Beside the Castle Rocks With an uneasy jerk Tex tore open the envelope the major handed him. He was not used to getting letters and this one was postmarked at the state prison. He fished out a single sheet of paper and stared at it. The major had read the postmark and stood waiting for Tex to speak. There was a brief line at the beginning of the letter. The message was from Sam and the warden had written the letter for him. Tex turned away from the major and walked down to the horse corral before he read any further. He wanted to be alone. Leaning over the pole gate he finished the letter. The message was brief, very much like Sam. Tex’s lips moved as he repeated the words to himself. “I put off writin’ figurin’ to see you. Reckon I won’t, so the warden is writin’ this to you. They got a buryin’ spot down here they call Woodpecker Hill. It’s good enough fer an old gopher miner but I still got a hankerin’ to get back to the top of the world. If it won’t put you out too much, Tex, I’d like to be planted near the ledge trail at the foot of the castle rocks. Jest lift the rock under the right front leg of the stove and you’ll find a poke of dust I cached. There’ll be enough in it to do the job. I want you should keep what’s left over. Figure I’ll hang on till I get a letter back from you. The doc says no, but I’ve fooled ’em before. Sam.” Tex folded the sheet into a wad and shoved it into the pocket of his chaps. He stared for a long time through the white sunlight. His bay gelding came over to the fence and nudged his arm. Tex turned around. “We shore let old Sam down,” he said grimly. “But this time we’ll not flop on him.”