rs twice," explained Rathburn with a peculiar
smile. "First, when I let 'em get the wrong package, an' again when I
let 'em get the wrong gun. This gun an' I work together like clock
ticks when necessary. I'll have to ask you to fork over the money that
you drew from the bank an' that should have been in that package,
Sautee."

Rathburn's eyes had narrowed and hardened; his words were cold and
menacing--deadly in their absolute sincerity.

"What--what do you mean?" stammered the mines manager.

"I take it you're not deaf," snapped out Rathburn. "Maybe you don't
know it, Sautee, but so help me, you're takin' a chance by acting like
you didn't get me."

Sautee's thin face was twitching in a spasm of commingled rage and
fear.

"The Coyote!" he breathed.

"Who told you that?" demanded Rathburn on the instant.

Sautee gripped the sides of his chair, and his face went a shade more
pallid.

"Carlisle," he confessed in a strained voice.

Rathburn laughed, and the mines manager shivered as he heard.

"Now, Sautee, we'll quit beatin' around the bush," Rathburn said
through his teeth. "We'll get down to business together, or I'll begin
to search your place here. But if I have to search, I'll search alone.
There ain't so much chance of a shot bein' heard way up the street;
an' there ain't much chance of me bein' caught on that hoss of mine if
I don't want to get caught. Also, I'm beginning to feel like I was in
a hurry. Fork over that money!"

Sautee looked just an instant longer into the eyes of the man towering
over him. Then he rose, shaking, dry-lipped, and knelt down by the
head of the bed. He lifted a piece of the carpet, opened a small
trapdoor, reached inside, and brought out a bundle of bank notes.
Rathburn took the money from him.

Sautee still was kneeling as he heard Rathburn walk lightly to the
front door and insert the key in the lock. He tried to cry out, but
the effort resulted only in a croak in his throat. He heard the door
close softly.

"The Coyote!" he mumbled, passing a hand across his forehead.

The echoes of galloping hoofs came to him as he scrambled to his feet
and staggered toward the door.

CHAPTER XX

APPEAL TO THE LAW

For some moments Sautee stood in the darkened doorway staring up the
moonlit street. The echoes of Rathburn's flight had died away. The
town was still. Sautee did not cry out, although he had recovered a
considerable measure of his composure. He listened i