His hand went out mechanically and pushed in an open drawer of his filing cabinet as if he were closing up the affair, putting away the details of the plan.Each point was now clear, orderly assembled.It meant simply chasing Barry along a course which covered close to a hundred miles and which lay in a loosely shaped U.St.Vincent's was the tip of the eastern side of that U.The men of St.Vincent's were to be called out to turn the outlaw out of his course towards Tucker Creek, and then, as he struck northeast towards Caswell City, they were to furnish the posse with fifteen fresh horses, the best they could gather on such short notice.Swinging north along that side of the U, Wago would next be warned to get its contribution of fifteen horses ready, and this fresh relay would send Barry thundering along towards Caswell City at full speed.Then Caswell City would send out its contingent of men and horses, and turn the fugitive back from the fords.By this time, unless his horse were better winded than any that Billy had ever dreamed of, it would be staggering at every stride, and the fresh horses from Caswell City would probably ride him down before he had gone five miles.Even in case they failed in this, there was the little town of Ganton, which would be ready with its men and mounts.Perhaps they could hem in the desperado from the front and shoot him down there, as he skirted along the river.At the worst they would furnish the fresh horses and the fifteen hardy riders would spur at full speed south along the river.If again, by some miracle, the black stallion lasted out this run, Wilsonville lay due ahead, and that place would again give new horses to the chase.
Last of all, the men of Bly Falls could be warned.Bly Falls was a town of size and it could turn out enough men to block a dozen Dan Barrys, no matter how desperate.If he reached that point, he must turn back.The following posse would catch him from the rear, and between two fires he must die ingloriously.Taking the plan as a whole it meant running Barry close to a hundred miles with six sets of horses.
It all hinged, however, on the first step: Could the men of St.Vincent turn him out of his western course and send him north towards Caswell City?
If they could, he was no better than a dead man.All things favored Billy.
In the first place it was still morning, and eight hours of broad daylight would keep the fugitive in view every inch of the way.In the second place, much of the distance was cut up by the barb-wire fences of the farm-lands, and he must either jump these or else stop to cut them.
A crackle of laughter cut in on Billy the clerk.They were laughing in that inner office, where the sheriff lay dead.Blood swept across his eyes, set his brain whirling, and he rushed to the door.
"You yelpin' coyotes!" shouted Billy the clerk."Get out.I got to be alone! Get out, or by God--"It was not so much his words, or the fear of his threats, but the very fact that Billy the clerk, harmless, smiling old Billy, had burst into noisy wrath, scared them as if an earthquake had gripped the building.They went out sidling, and left the rooms in quiet.Then Billy took up the phone.
"Pete Glass is dead," he was saying a moment later to the owner of the general merchandise store at St.Vincent."Barry came in this morning and shot him.The boys have run him east to the Morgan Hills.Johnny, listen hard and shut up.You got half an hour to turn out every man in your town.
Ride south till you get in the hills on a bee-line east of where Tucker Creek runs into the old Asper.D'ye hear? Then keep your eyes peeled to the east, and watch for a man on a black hoss ridin' hard, because Barry is sure as hell goin' to double back out of the Morgan Hills and come west like a scairt coyote.The posse will be behind him, but they most like be a hell of a ways to the bad.Johnny, everything hangs on your turnin' Barry back.And have fifteen fresh hosses, the best St.Vincent has, so that the boys in the posse can climb on 'em and ride hell-bent for Wago.Johnny, if we get him started north he's dead--and if you turn him like I say I'll see that you come in on the reward.D'ye hear?"But there was only an inarticulate whoop from the other end of the wire.
Billy hung up.A little later he was talking to Wago.
