ecame. Since morning a number had been wearing masks made of their
neckerchiefs, and one man had not shown his face since the moment he rode
into camp after the all-night drive. This man's peculiar actions piqued
Bud's curiosity, and he tried a number of times to draw him into
conversation. But the rustler refused to speak and moved away whenever he
found himself in the prisoner's vicinity.

About five o'clock the cavalcade arrived at a point where, ahead of them,
through the barren buttes and hogbacks, they could see the long, level
expanse of the range; and, about half-way to the horizon, a line of trees
that indicated the snake-like progress of a river. Here Joe called a halt
and gave orders that the party should lie concealed until after dark, as
the remainder of their business could then be conducted with less danger
to themselves.

Accordingly the horsemen turned away from the trail they had been
following and after fifteen minutes of tortuous riding, made camp on the
other side of a particularly uninviting wall of rock.

After eating supper prepared around the little fires Larkin saw the
rustlers all gather into a circle and start drawing lots. He shivered a
little at the thought that this was his execution party being made up.

Four men had been designated as the number to see Larkin off on his long
journey, and when at last the drawing was finished it was found that Joe
Parker, the masked rider, and two others had been selected.

As darkness drew on Parker began to lose his patience with Bud.

"Look-a-here, Larkin," he drawled, "I don't love no sheepmen, noways, an'
I never did, but you ain't no ordinary 'walker' an' I ain't ashamed to
talk with y'u. Now the boys want to meet y'u half-way on this business,
an' you won't do it. All you got to say is that you won't appear agin any
of us in any court, an' won't ever say anythin' agin any of us. Now what
in blazes you're actin' like a mule balkin' at a shadder for, I dunno. Be
sensible."

But to all such entreaties Larkin remained unmoved.

"If you hang me," he said, "you'll only hang yourselves, for all the
sheepmen in Wyoming as well as the men from my own ranch will come down
here, join with the cattlemen, and clean you fellows out. And if my Basque
herders start in on you don't imagine you will have the luxury of hanging.
They'll take their skinning knives and work from the neck down. No, I'd
advise you to let me go and take your chances rather than kill