Upon his escape or capture depended now—as Hector knew and Molyneux knew—whether Superintendent Adair or Joseph Welland was to be victorious in their private battle.
III
One afternoon in May, when the hunt had been in progress nearly three months and the unrest was at its height, there came to Superintendent Adair a certain Broncho clergyman. His name was Northcote. He was a big man—big physically, mentally, spiritually, with a fine, deep voice that reminded one of his own pipe organ, and a noble head, as dignified as a Cæsar's. In fact, he looked like a Cæsar, for he was clean-shaven, ruddy and strong of face and besides was blessed with a look of kindliness seldom seen in portraits of the old Emperors. Sensible, broad-minded, tolerant, the Rev. Mr. Northcote well deserved his nickname of the 'Human Parson.' Naturally, he was now, and always had been, on Hector's side.
Hector had just come in from thirty-six hours in the saddle, covered with mud, hungry and quite comfortably tired—he had almost lived in the saddle for weeks now—but he welcomed the clergyman, who never bothered him without good cause.
They shook hands warmly. Northcote began.
"I've no idea of the present situation as regards Whitewash Bill, Major, except that he's still at liberty and I don't want to worry you with questions that don't concern me. But I want to give you some information I think you ought to know; and it's on good authority." The clergyman dropped his voice and spoke with great caution. "There's a certain element—smaller ranchers, low-class men in Broncho, cowboys who know no better—that is planning just now—to lynch Whitewash Bill when you take him!"
"I see. The details?"
"Well, so far as they go, are simply this: as soon as Whitewash Bill is arrested, they'll ride out to the scene of action, take him away from the escort, and string him up. If they don't do that, they're to storm the barracks and hang him from a telegraph pole."
"The idea being, I suppose, to take it out of the man who's terrorized the country and to set an example to would-be outlaws of the future?"
"That's about it, Major."