"Well, I got kind of notorious fer savin' the dudes an' I had a good thing there until one day I seen a man hangin' around the depot. It was Mike Hinch--an' that night I blew. I worked around after that--cowpunchin', bartendin', minin' an' lots of other jobs, but I never would stay long in a place--till I hit Wolf River an' seen you. I figgered if I had to make a stand it might's well be there as anywheres so I stayed. I know'd Mike Hinch was on my trail. It wasn't that I was afraid of him--afraid he'd shoot me--'cause I'd took care to get so good with a six-gun, either handed, that he wouldn't stand no show. But, I'd learnt my lesson--that crooked work don't pay. I wanted to be on the level, an' I was afraid that Mike would somehow tip me off fer that hold-up, to git even for me killin' Old Pete an' Wild Hoss." Cinnabar paused and, his wife, who had been drinking in every word leaned toward him eagerly: "But, Purdy? How did Purdy git in on it?" "I was comin' to that. A year ago, Purdy had a little job of dirty work he wanted done an' he come to me to do it. I told him where to head in at an' then he sprung--what I've jest told you. I pulled my gun an' covered him, but--somehow I couldn't shoot him down in cold blood--not even fer that. He'd left his guns off a purpose. Then he lit in an' told how he was ridin' along Big Dry an' found a man layin' there with his back broke, which his horse had throw'd him off. Purdy seen he was all in an' while he stood lookin' at him the fellow got to mutterin' about a hold-up. Purdy fetched him some water an' the man--he was Mike Hinch--begged him to give him his gun which had fell out of his reach, so he could put hisself out of misery. Purdy thought if he was a hold-up, he'd have a _cache_ somewheres, so he dickered with him, agreein' to pass him the gun if he'd tell where his _cache_ was. Mike said he didn't have no _cache_. He was headin' to Wolf River to horn some money out of me to keep him from tippin' off the sheriff that I was in on that hold-up. So Purdy give him his gun--an' he shot hisself, but before he died he told Purdy that he was the only one left of the gang--I'd bumped off two, an' Scar Lamento had got killed down in Mexico." Cinnabar removed his hat and breathed deeply, "So now you've got it--straight. I'd ought to told you before--but, somehow--I kep' puttin' it off." He rose to his feet. "I'm goin' out an' git Purdy, now--I'd ought to done it long ago." Jennie rose and laid a hand on his arm: "Jest one thing more, Joe? That little job of dirty work that Purdy wanted you to do--did you do it?" Cinnabar grinned, "I did--an' I didn't. Ask Tex Benton--he knows." "Tex Benton! That reminds me!" Jennie paused and pointed toward the cabin. "In there, she told me that Tex is huntin' Purdy. How it comes she's keepin' cases on Tex--an' her married--is more'n I know. But that's what she said."