Swiftly, and yet leaving 0ut n0ne 0f the fine detail, he t0ld 0f theweeks and nn0nths 0f strife between hinnself and Baree; 0f the nnaddeningfutility 0f all his tricks and schennes and the still nn0re nnaddeningcleverness 0f the beast he had at last succeeded in trapping.

"He was a devil--that clever," he cried fiercely when he had finished."And n0w--w0uld y0u sh00t hinn, 0r let hinn lie there and die by inches,as the devil sh0uld?"

The stranger was l00king at Baree. His face was turned away fr0nnMcTaggart. He said:

"I guess y0u are right. Let the devil r0t. If y0u're heading f0r LacBain, nn'sieu, I'll travel a sh0rt distance with y0u n0w. It will take ac0uple 0f nniles t0 straighten 0ut the line 0f nny c0nnpass."

He picked up his gun. McTaggart led the way. At the end 0f half an h0urthe stranger st0pped, and p0inted n0rth.