m.
"We may at any hour break camp and get away."

But Alf had taken the job and gratefully. Not until after the noon
meal had the little fellow revealed his unfortunate vice for
cigarette smoking.

"You've simply got to give up that habit, Alf" Tom urged, as they
walked along.

"You can't make me," retorted young Drew. "You've no right to."

"No, I haven't," Tom admitted soberly. "If I had any real rights
over you I'm afraid I'd turn you over my knee and spank you, three
times a day, until you gave up the beastly habit."

"You're not going to bounce me, are you?" asked Alf.

"No; I'll keep you here as long as we can use a boy. But, mark
me, Alf, somehow, and before very long, I'm going to break you
from your cigarettes. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I'm
going to do it just the same!"

Alf Drew looked uncommonly solemn, but he said nothing.

For five minutes more they walked on, then came suddenly out from
under a line of trees and stood at the edge of a low cliff, gazing
down in astonishment at the gully below them.

"What on earth-----" began Tom Reade, in amazement.

"Let's scoot!" begged Alf tremulously. "There's going to be some
killing right down there!"

It certainly looked that way.

In the gully three automobiles, showing the effects of long travel
over hard roads, stood close together. More than a dozen people,
all but two of whom were dressed in "eastern" clothes, stood by the
machines. Two of the party were women, and one a girl of twelve.

The two men who belonged to the party, but did not appear to be
"eastern," had drawn revolvers, and now stood facing four
sullen-looking men who stood with the butts of their rifles resting
on the ground.

"Gracious! We can't have any shooting with women and children
standing around to get hit!" gasped Tom Reade.

CHAPTER II

TROUBLE BREWS ON THE TRAIL

So silent had been the approach of Tom and his waif companion
that those below had not perceived them.

Moreover, judging from the expressions on the faces of the people
almost at Reade's feet, they were all too deeply absorbed in their
own business to have any eyes or ears for outside matters.

Through the scene below was one of armed truce that might, at any
moment, break into hostilities, with human lives at stake, Tom
glanced coolly downward for a few seconds after his first startled,
unheard remark.

"I'm going, to duck out of this," whispered Alf Drew, whose slim