hind them.
The young man watched first one, then the other, as tireless and
vigilant as if he had not been awake for twenty-four hours.

It was the dugout that first started from its night's repose. Before
the sun showed itself over the rim of the prairie, long before its rays
darted over the distant mountain-crest, the door was thrown away from
the casing, and a great uncouth man, strong as a giant, and wild of
aspect as a savage, strode forth, gun in hand, his eyes sweeping the
landscape in quick flashing glances. Almost instantly he discovered
the figure perched on the granite block overlooking his retreat. He
raised his gun to his shoulder.

The young man fell sidewise behind the rocks and a bullet clipped the
edge of his barricade. Remaining supine, he fastened his handkerchief
to the end of his whip and waved it above the rampart. Having thus
manifested his peaceful intent, he rose, still holding the flag of
truce above his head, and remained motionless. Brick Willock stared at
him for a moment in hostile indecision, then strode forward. At the
same time, an old man, thin, tall and white-haired, issued from the
dugout evidently attracted by the gunshot; and soon after, the cabin
door opened, and the girl of the cove looked out inquiringly.

In the meantime the young man slowly descended the hill to the oval
valley, while Willock hurried forward to meet him.

"Don't you come no futher!" Willock commanded, threatening with his
gun. "Keep your hands above your head until I can ship your cargo."

Obediently he stood while the great whiskered fellow took the weapons
from his belt, and dived into his hip pockets.

"That'll do. Now--what do you want?"

"It's hard to put it into a few words," the other complained. "I'd
like to have a little talk with you."

"You are one of them fellows that come here to run us out of the
country, ain't you? I don't remember seeing you, but I guess you
belong to the bunch over on Red River. Well, you see we're still here,
meaning to stay. Are your pards outside there, waiting for a message?"

"Nobody knows I'm here, or thought of coming. Let me put that affair
in its true light. The boys are all under our boss, and when he lays
down the law it isn't for us to argue with him--we carry out orders--"

"Unless there's a Brick Willock involved in them orders," returned the
man, with a grim smile.

"But it's our duty to TRY to carry out the orders, whether we like 'em
o