ing resentment at the police, had dominated them, and had brought them on a journey of vengeance. But they

murmured, rubbing his bristly chin. "I ain't what you might

eed girl over there. You lookin' for better

less dead because an Injun or a girl

was alone except for Tom, an' o' course Tom's with us. But this here's a different proposition. Too many witness

ey-runner snarled. "She won

won't

es." He flung out a gesture of scarcely restrained rage. He was not one who could

West's declaration could mean only one of two things. Either the girl would not be alive to

omen. From Tom Morse he had heard of his offer to McRae

xpression of face, she was of the white race, an inheritor of its civilization and of its traditions. Only her dusky color and a certain wild shyness seemed born of the native blood in her. She was

ht of men for months. He would travel swiftly with her to the great river. Every sweep of his canoe paddle would carry them deeper into that virgin North

n had come along to save Tom Morse from prison and for no other

ns said. "Count me out. Right he

e's head and rode

We're better off without the whit

at that. I'd like blame

n self," Gosse

l do just that. If any of you's got a different notion we'll settle that here an' now. How about i

tter with him. He showed his

on. "It's my say-so. My order

right to left threateningly as his gaze passed from one to anot

l sneak round an' come up from behind-get right into the rocks before this bully-puss fellow knows it. If you get a chance, plug him in the back, b

anned it. He left out of account one factor-a man among the r

ers busy. Barney, with the half-breeds and the Indian at heel, made a wide circle and crept up to the red sandstone outcroppings. He did not relish the job

eem quite genuine. It was desultory and ineffective. Why? What trick did Bu

With the firing of the first shot back there, Bully West would

fle gleaming through a slit of open space between them. She was compromising between the orders given her and the anxiety in her to fight back

oming from behind would have to climb over a boulder field rising to the big rocks. It took Tom only a cas

lert to detect the presence of any one stealing up the pass. He waited, eager and yet patient. What he

r sound came to him. He could keep no count of time. It seemed to him t

me from the grinding of loose rubble beneath the sole of a boot. Presently the man on t

vaguely in the gloom. Nor could he hear again the crunch of a footstep on disintegrated sands

ead, then the barrel of a rifle, finally a crouched body followed by bowed legs. On hands and knees it crept forward, hitching the weap

o move on. He was one of the half-breeds West had brou

ou covered. Don't mov

In the fingers of one h

d caught hold of it. "I

xed. "Skirt round the

that hollow. Go

rse took i

ord, I'll pump lead into yo

ecided to take no chances. He lay down on his f

ntly another head projected itself out of the darkness. A man crep

of his neck somet

hands, Barney,"

ut a yelp. "Mother o

of you?" aske

e m

put Barney alongside his companion. Within five m

n he drove them bef

o me, Mr. Constable, but I busted the rules an' regulations to col

appealed mightily to him. He did not know how this young fellow ha

how did you get 'em

the back stairway. I borrowed a gun from one o' them. I ask

the left. From out of them Jessie McRae came

He tried to run in on

ke into an hy

with you and friend Morse here-" He broke off, touched at her distress. "Never mind about that, Miss McRae. He had it

aving a red bandanna handk

f the boys got winged. No use us goin' on with this darned fool

out to meet him. He a

r rubbed his chin bristles a

oners, both Mor

peated Gosse

I'll turn 'em over to you. But not Morse and Barney.

all glad to drop the battle. The big smuggler, lying on the ground with a bullet in his thigh, cursed them for a

nd Morse walked over to the camp-fir

you would have it, you know,"

hit me, you liar. It was that li'l' hell-cat of McRae. You tell he

ping light of the flames the face was that of a demon, a coun

his quiet way. "I'm servin' notice, We

infuriated wild animal. He glared at Morse, a torrent of abuse stru

t waver. "It goes. I'll see you're

. The barrel of his revolver rose swiftly. A bullet sang past Morse's ear. Before he could

adman without saying a word. It was Beresford who sa

y," Gosse expostulated. "We'd done ag

le ordered. "If this man's able to fight he's able t

rse-hoofs died away. Beresford was al

e arrived before the others. She had crept to the camp on the heels of Beresf

lo wallow she had seen and

ly hold a girl to a bargain that included horsewhipping for her, who for some reason of his own fought beside the man taking him to imprisonment, and who had flung defianc

, but he would do to