He was nothing but a shadow on the horizon when that old basset hound of his escaped from the sheriff's office and went loping down the street. When she reached the edge of town, she sank down on her grizzled haunches, threw back her head, and let out a howl that broke nearly every heart that heard it. Later, there would be many who would swear he'd reined in his mare and stood silhouetted against the sunset for a timeless moment.