"But I'm damned if I can give a double-cross to any man," added Rockstro, stooping for his revolver. "I should think less of you, Rockstro, if you did. You don't need money anyway now, but sometime you may need a friend. I'm going to leave you here. You'll hear no more of this, and I'm going to ask you a question: Why did you go against this when you knew you'd have to square yourself with me?" "They told me you'd be taken care of before it was pulled off." "They lied to you, didn't they? No matter, you've got their stuff. Now I am going to ask you one question that I don't know the answer to; it's a fair question, too. Was Du Sang in the penitentiary with you at Fort City? Answer fair." "Yes." "Thank you. Behave yourself and keep your mouth shut. I say nothing this time. Hereafter leave railroad matters alone, and if the woman should fall sick or you have to have a little money, come and see me." Smith led the way back to the horses. "Look here!" muttered Rockstro, following, with his good eye glued on his companion. "I pulled on you too quick, I guess--quicker'n I'd ought to." "Don't mention it. You didn't pull quick enough; it is humiliating to have a man that's as slow as you are pull on me. People that pull on me usually pull and shoot at the same time. Two distinct movements, Rockstro, should be avoided; they are fatal to success. Come down to the Bend sometime, and I'll get you a decent gun and give you a few lessons." Whispering Smith drew his handkerchief as the one-eyed man rode away and he rejoined his companions. He was resigned, after a sickly fashion. "I like to play blind-man's-buff," he said, wiping his forehead, "but not so far from good water. They have pulled us half-way to the Grosse Terre Mountains on a beautiful trail, too beautiful to be true, Farrell--too beautiful to be true. They have been having fun with us, and they've doubled back, through the Topah Topahs toward the Mission Mountains and Williams Cache--that is my judgment. And aren't we five able-bodied jays, gentlemen? Five strong-arm suckers? It is an inelegant word; it is an inelegant feeling. No matter, we know a few things. There are five good men and a led horse; we can get out of here by Goose River, find out when we cross the railroad how much they got, and pick them up somewhere around the Saddle peaks, _if_ they've gone north. That's only a guess, and every man's guess is good now. What do you think, all of you?" "If it's the crowd we think it is, would they go straight home? That doesn't look reasonable, does it?" asked Brill Young. "If they could put one day between them and pursuit, wouldn't they be safer at home than anywhere else? And haven't they laid out one day's work for us, good and plenty? Farrell, remember one thing: there is sometimes a disadvantage in knowing too much about the men you are after. We'll try Goose River."