d scattering trees on the slope
above.

"Guess it's safe to rest our horses here," said Percy. "We can hear
'em coming either way; but I don't think they'll get up here."

However, neither he nor Rathburn knew how many men Brown had at his
command, nor did they know that the sheriff of the county, with two
deputies, had raced to Dry Lake by automobile, procured horses, and
hastened to join Brown on the east trail, which seemed the most likely
route of escape for the outlaw.

There was a spring in the pocket surrounded by a small meadow of good
grass. The pair watered their horses, loosened their saddle-cinches,
and permitted the animals to graze with reins dangling.

Rathburn took his slicker pack from the rear of his saddle and spread
it open on the ground.

"Reckon it's safe to build a small fire here?" he asked cheerfully.
"I'm powerful hungry, an' I've got some emergency provisions--being
trail-broke."

Percy, too, was hungry, as his eager look toward the pack testified.

"I'll climb up to the top on the lower side an' keep an eye out while
you fix some grub," he volunteered. "You needn't be scared of me
jumping over the other side. There's a drop of about five hundred feet
over there."

"Go ahead and jump if you want," said Rathburn. "Me--I'd rather live.
That's why I want to eat."

While the other climbed to his lookout position Rathburn made a fire.
Then he took a small frying pan and coffeepot, minus its handle, from
the pack, removed the packages stuffed in them, and soon was making
coffee, frying bacon, and warming up beans. This, with some hard
biscuits and some sirup out of a bottle, constituted their meal, which
Rathburn soon had ready.

Again he looked closely at Percy's face as the latter scrambled down
from his perch to appease his hunger.

Suddenly he burst out laughing; but it was a belittling laugh, half
sneering, which brought the blood to the face of the captive while
Rathburn watched him closely.

"If I had to-day's actions to do over again you mightn't be so
tickled," said the man viciously.

"I'm laughing to think how lucky you are for a rank beginner an'
botcher!" said Rathburn as they began to eat. "You must have took a
course in outlawing from some correspondence school," he continued.

"Maybe you could have done better," hinted the other.

"Quite likely I could," admitted Rathburn. "In the first place I'd
have shut that back door after I came in so nobody could pot shot me