"That settles it!" declared the sheriff. He was outside in an instant, running here and there in search of men to form a posse. He found them, scores of them; for in all communities where the law is represented, there are men who take pride in upholding it. So it was with Okar. When the law-loving citizens of the town were told what had occurred they began to gather around the sheriff from all directions--all armed and eager. 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!" CHAPTER XXXI THE FUGITIVE After the departure of Barney Owen and Mary Bransford, the Double A ranchhouse was as silent as any house, supposed to be occupied by a dead man, could be. But after a few minutes, if one had looked over the top of the partition from which Owen had hanged Alva Dale, one might have seen Dale move a little. One might have been frightened, but if one had stayed there, it would have been to see Dale move again. The first time he moved he had merely placed his feet upon the floor, to rest himself. The second movement resulted in him raising his smashed hands and lifting the noose from his neck. He threw it viciously from him after removing it, so that it flew over the top of the partition and swished sinuously upon the floor of the kitchen. For Barney Owen had not done a good job in hanging Dale. For when Barney had run across the kitchen with the rope, to tie it to the fastenings of the door, it had slacked a little, enough to permit Dale's toes to touch the floor of the pantry. Feeling the slack, Dale had taken advantage of it, throwing his head forward a little, to keep the rope taut while Owen fastened it. All that had been involuntary with Dale. For, at that time Dale had had no thought of trying to fool Owen--he had merely taken what chance had given him. And when the first shock of the thing was over he had begun his attempts to reach the top of the partition in order to slacken the rope enough to get it over his head--for at that time he did not know that already the rope was slack enough. It was not until after his hands had been smashed and he had dropped to the floor again, that he realized that he might have thrown the rope off at once.