"Why, how you happened to marry Joan Piotto and how Bard left the country."
The other stared into the distance, overlooking the question.
"Tell me what you've found out about him."
"I been after him these three days. Logan tipped him wrong, and he started the south trail for Eldara. I got on his trail three times and couldn't catch him till we hit Eldara."
"I thought your roan was the most durable horse on the range, Steve. You've often told me so."
"He was on a faster horse than mine--for a while."
"You showed your hand, then? He knows you were sent after him?"
"Is he tangling himself up with some girl?" frowned the rancher.
"He's cutting in on me with Sally Fortune--damn his heart!"
And Nash paled visibly, even through whiskers and mud. The other almost smiled.
"With hosses and women, he don't lose no time."
"The first trace I caught of him was at a shack of an old ranchhouse where he'd traded his lame hoss in. They gave him the wildest mustang they had--a hoss that was saddle-shy and that hadn't never been ridden. He busted that hoss in--a little piebald mustang, tougher 'n iron--and that was why I didn't catch him till we hit Eldara."
The smile was growing more palpable on the face of Drew, and he nodded for the story to continue.
"Then I come to a house which was all busted up because Bard had come along and flirted with the girl, and she's got too proud for the feller she was engaged to--begun thinkin' of millionaires right away, I s'pose.
"Next I tracked him to Flanders's saloon, where he'd showed up Sandy Ferguson the day before and licked him bad. I seen Ferguson. It was sure some lickin'."
"Ferguson? The gun-fighter? The two-gun man?"
The colour was back in his face. He seemed to be enjoying the recountal hugely.
"Then I hit Eldara and found all the lights out."
"H-m! He'd had a run-in with Butch Conklin, and Butch threatened to come back with all his gang and wipe Eldara off the map. He stuck around and while he was waitin' for Butch and his gang, he started flirtin' with Sally--Fortune."
The name seemed to stick in his throat and he had to bring it out with a grimace. "So now you want his blood, Nash?"
"I'll have it," said the cowpuncher quietly, "I've got gambler's luck. In the end I'm sure to win."