se by roweling its sides savagely. He plunged into the curly mesquite, driving forward straight as an arrow. Behind him in the darkness followe

Rock was ten miles to the west. Except for the stage station there, and the settlement he

Fort Worth. He was awakened by the sound of a raucous curse, he testified later, and in the bright moonlight saw th

le to explain later why this struck him as ominous, beyond the strangeness of the fact that two men, not in each other's company, should be traveling so close together in the desert. At any rate, he rose, c

f blue in the dun sky flashed warning of a sun soon to rise. He had struck the rim-rock a little too far to the right, and deflected from his course to find the

a big boulder, a hea

t there! W

or

descending path to a little draw. A lank, sallow man with a rifle joined him. W

t expect you to-n

t Tomichi Creek. Beat up a you

hy can't you let folks alone?"

ner in the business on hand to-night, and he wou

to knife me," explained th

you ever learn sense?

His girl's c

of the handsome young cad. He knew that this particular brand

but I'll onload some gratis. You let Bonita Menendez a

. "Them Mexicans hang together, too. We need their

er askin' your

m givin'

e lookout rock. Presently he returned with a dismounted horseman. The man was the

he stuff all safe?"

facial contortions. Unfortunately the new arrival did no

addle on a boulder. "Ridley hadn't ought to be let out without a nurse. He swal

his brother Homer, alias Bill Moore. They would probably h

ort for a payment of gold. Probably he, Rutherford, had mentioned this to one of the gang when he was drunk. They had held up

. Let's have a look

e Dinsmore, and the men squat

th the freight outfit till he had delivered the gold to yore dad. We had to get him started right away. So I pulled on him a story about hearin' the boys intended to hold him up. He hired me as a guard to help him stand off the

ys you get a thi

this job, didn't

y dad," protested young Wadley. "Tried to slip one

der brother narrowed. "

let you rob me of my own money an' never cheep? I'l

what would yo

Cap Ellison. I'll bust you up

tence of death upon himself. They had doubted him before, vaguely, and without any definite reason. But after this

you think is comin' to you,

eed dominated. He had them where they had to eat out of his hand. "Give me two

exploded. "Think we're plumb idjits? You '

ne long, significant look

ol's short, but I reckon he aims to be reasonable. Let's say hal

ng the night. Ordinarily he would have accepted the proposed co

my terms, Pete

passed, this time between

"It's a raw deal you're givin' us, but I r

and divided. Rutherford repacked his two thi

in' to strike for town," he said. "I aim to get back in ti

ly watched him saddle and ride away. A quarte