"No one but me is goin' to take care of Whistlin' Dan," he stated. So the vigil began, with Buck watching Dan, and Black Bart alert, suspicious, ready at the first wrong move to leap at the throat of Buck. CHAPTER XXVII NOBODY LAUGHS That night the power which had sent Dan into Elkhead, Jim Silent, stood his turn at watch in the narrow canyon below the old Salton place. In the house above him sat Terry Jordan, Rhinehart, and Hal Purvis playing poker, while Bill Kilduff drew a drowsy series of airs from his mouth-organ. His music was getting on the nerves of the other three, particularly Jordan and Rhinehart, for Purvis was winning steadily. "Let up!" broke out Jordan at last, pounding on the table with his fist. "Your damn tunes are gettin' my goat. Nobody can think while you're hittin' it up like that. This ain't no prayer meetin', Bill." For answer Kilduff removed the mouth-organ to take a deep breath, blinked his small eyes, and began again in a still higher key. "Go slow, Terry," advised Rhinehart in a soft tone. "Kilduff ain't feelin' none too well tonight." "What's the matter with him?" growled the scar-faced man, none too anxious to start an open quarrel with the formidable Kilduff. Rhinehart jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "The gal in there. He don't like the game the chief has been workin' with her." "Neither do I," said Purvis, "but I'd do worse than the chief done to get Lee Haines back." "Get Haines back?" said Kilduff, his voice ominously deep. "There ain't no chance of that. If there was I wouldn't have no kick against the chief for what he's done to Kate." "Maybe there's _some_ chance," suggested Rhinehart. "Chance, hell!" cried Kilduff. "One man agin a whole town full? I say all that Jim has done is to get Whistlin' Dan plugged full of lead." "Well," said Purvis, "if that's done, ain't the game worth while?" The rest of the men chuckled and even Kilduff smiled. "Old Joe Cumberland is sure takin' it hard," said "Calamity" Rhinehart. "All day he's been lightin' into the girl." "The funny part," mused Purvis, "is that the old boy really means it. I think he'd of sawed off his right hand to keep her from goin' to Whistlin' Dan." "An' her sittin' white-faced an' starin' at nothin' an' tryin' to comfort _him!_" rumbled Kilduff, standing up under the stress of his unwonted emotion. "My God, she was apologizin' for what she done, an' tryin' to cheer him up, an' all the time her heart was bustin'." He pulled out a violently coloured bandana and wiped his forehead. "When we all get down to hell," he said, "they'll be quite a little talkin' done about this play of Jim's--you c'n lay to that." "Who's that singin' down the canyon?" asked Jordan. "It sounds like--" He would not finish his sentence as if he feared to prove a false prophet. They rose as one man and stared stupidly at one another. "Haines!" broke out Rhinehart at last. "It ain't no ways possible!" said Kilduff. "And yet--by God, it is!"