," said the observer, speaking his
thoughts aloud in a musical, bass voice. "One in front, one behind;
now how about the kid?"

As if in answer to his question the third member of the party,
evidently a boy, led the horses a short way up the hogback where a
good view could be obtained of the road in both directions.

The watcher grunted in approval. "One in front to do the stick-up, one
behind to stop a retreat and get whatever it is they're after, and one
on the lookout to see there ain't any unexpected guests. Couldn't have
planned the lay any better ourselves, hoss."

He was too far distant to interfere, even if he had had any desire to
do so, which was doubtful from his interested and tolerant manner.
Anyway it could have done no good to shout a warning, for the driver
of the truck could not have heard anything above the roar of his
machine, and the trio had gone about the preparations with dispatch.
Already the truck was climbing the last steep pitch to the top of the
hogback.

The tall man in the black slicker and mask now quickly stepped forth
from the edge of the timber. The watcher above saw his right hand and
arm whip out level with his shoulders. There was a glint of morning
sunlight and dull metal. The truck came to a jarring stop as the
driver jammed on the brakes. Then the driver's hands went into the
air.

Stepping from the timber at the roadside behind the truck, the second
man leaped upon the machine. The watcher grunted again as he saw that
this man was also masked. The driver was disarmed and searched, then
forced to clamber down from the truck into the road, where the man in
the slicker kept him covered while the other quickly searched about
the seat and cab of the truck. Then the second man released the brakes
and dropped nimbly from the machine which plunged backward down the
steep slope, crashed into the tree growth on one side of the road, and
overturned.

The boy mounted and led the other two horses down the hogback in the
scanty timber to the head of the grade. There the man in the slicker
and his companion joined him, mounted, and the trio rode quickly along
the hogback in a southerly direction and disappeared on a blind rail
into the forest.

Rathburn rolled himself another cigarette with a grin as he watched
the truck driver stand for some moments uncertainly in the road and
then start rapidly down the slope toward his disabled machine.

"C'mon, hoss," said the erstwhile spectator