cable. "My notion is for
half a dozen of us to go on horses--swing round by the far edge of the
mesa. We can drop down into the valley an' pick Houck up if we're
lucky."

"And if you're not lucky?" Harshaw demanded.

"Why, o' course we might have trouble. Got to take our chances on that."

"They might wipe the whole bunch of you out. No, sir. I need my men right
here. This whole thing's comin' to a show-down right soon. Houck will
have to wait."

"I got to go back, Mr. Harshaw," Bob insisted. "I done promised him I
would."

"Looky here, boy. You'll do as you please, of course. But there's no
sense in being bull-haided. How much do you figure you owe this Jake
Houck? I never heard tell he was yore best friend. You got him into the
willows. You went to the river and brought him water. You ran a big risk
comin' here to get help for him. We'll go to him just as soon as it's
safe. That ought to content you."

Before Bob's mental vision there flashed a picture of a man in fever
burning up for lack of water. He could not understand it himself. It was
not reasonable, of course. But somehow Jake Houck had become his charge.
He had to go through with the job.

"I'm going back to him," he said stubbornly.

"Then you're a darn fool. He wouldn't go a step of the way for you."

"Maybe not. That ain't the point. He needs me. Do I get a horse?"

"Yes, if you're bound an' determined to go," Harshaw said. After a
momentary hesitation he added: "And if any of the boys want to go along
they can. I'm not hinderin' them. But my advice is for them to stick
right here."

Bob's eyes swept the little group round him. "Any one want to take a
chance? We'll snake Houck outa the willows an' make a getaway sure."

"Or else you'll stay there with him permanent," Harshaw contributed.
"It's plumb foolishness, boys. Houck had his orders an' he broke away
from them deliberate. He'd ought to take what's comin'."

Dud pleaded with Dillon. "If it was anybody but Houck, Bob, I'd trail
along with you. I sure would. But I can't see as there's any call for us
to take such a big risk for him. He's got it in for us both. Said himself
he was layin' for us. You stood by him to a fare-you-well. Ain't that
enough?"

Bob did not attempt to reason. He simply stated facts. "No, I got to go
back, Dud. He's a mighty sick man, an' he needs me. The Utes are liable
to find him any time. Maybe I could stand 'em off."

"An' maybe you couldn't," Blister said.