Sauntering up the street he came to the south side of the gambling-hall and went along it, and when a certain number of paces beyond the fifth high window, the sill of which was above his head, he stumbled and fell. Swearing under his breath he picked up a Colt which had slipped from its holster and, arising to hands and knees, looked around and then stood up. He could see under the entire building except at the point where he had fallen, and there he saw that under Kane's private room the walls went down into the earth. When he reached the stables he entered the one which sheltered his horse, closed the door behind him and made a hasty examination of the building, but found nothing which made him suspect a secret exit. He came to the opinion that the boards went down to the earth below Kane's quarters for the purpose of not allowing anyone to crawl under his rooms. In a few minutes he led his horse outside, mounted and rode around to the front of the gambling-hall, where he dismounted and went in for a drink, scowling slightly at the vigilant and militant Mr. Thorpe, who returned the look with interest. "Got a cayuse?" he asked the bartender. The other shook his head. "No, why?" "Thought mebby you'd like to ride along with me. That one of mine will be better for a little exercise. What's east of here?" "Sand hills, dried lakes, an' th' desert." "Then I'll go west," grinned Bill. "But mebby it's th' same?" "It ain't bad over that way; but why don't you ride south? There's real good country down in them valleys." "Ain't that where th' T & C is?" The bartender nodded. "West is good enough for me. Better get a cayuse an' come along." "Can't do it, an' I ain't set a saddle in two years. I'd be a cripple if I stuck to you. Why don't you hunt up that Nelson feller? He ain't got nothin' to do." "Just left him. Don't reckon he'd care to go. Huh!" he muttered, looking at the clock. "I reckon I'll eat first, an' ride after." Shortly after dinner Johnny strolled in and nodded to the bartender, who immediately called to Bill Long. "Here's Nelson now; mebby he'll go with you," he said. "Go where?" asked Johnny, pausing. "Ridin'." "What for?" "Exercise. He wants to take th' devilishness out of his horse. You got one, too, ain't you?" "Shore have," answered Johnny. "An' she's gettin' mean, too. It ain't a bad idea. Where are you goin', Long?" "Anywhere, everywhere, or nowhere," answered Bill carelessly. "I'm aiming to ride him to a frazzle, an' I got to cut down his feed more." "All right, if you says so," agreed Johnny, joining the group. Red Thompson rode up to the door and came in. "Hey, anybody that's goin' down th' trail wants to ride easy. That T & C gang are so suspicious that they're insultin'. Got four men ridin' along their wire, with rifles across their pommels. Looks like they was goin' on th' prod." Thorpe silently withdrew, to reappear in a few minutes and resume his watch.