r
Stelton's head appeared. Bud had him covered with two revolvers, and on
sight of the dark face ran forward to finish the job.

But the foreman was no mollycoddle, and with one lightning-like motion
unlimbered his .45 and began to shoot. Like most Western gun-handlers, his
revolver commenced to spit as soon as its mouth was out of the holster,
and the bullets spurted up the sand twice in front of Bud before the
muzzle had reached a dangerous angle, so swiftly was it fired.

But the sheepman was not idle, and had both guns working so accurately
that at last Stelton drew in his head, but left his hand around the corner
of the rock, still pulling the trigger. He would never have done this with
any other man, but he still considered Larkin a "dude" and a sheepman, and
knew that neither was much of a shot.

With a ball through his right foot, Bud hopped out of the path of the
stream of lead and discharged each revolver once at the same spot. The
result was a broken hand and a wrecked gun for Stelton, who,
unfortunately, did not know that Larkin, on occasions, had split the edges
of playing cards with dueling pistols.

Before the Bar T foreman could reach his Winchester, Bud was around the
rock, and had him covered. Stelton gave one look at the hard, determined
eyes of the sheepman and thought better of the impulse to bolt for the
rifle on a chance. He slowly hoisted his hands.

"Well, darn it, what do yuh want?" he snarled.

"First I want you to back up against that rock and keep your hands in the
air until I tell you to take 'em down," said Bud, in a tone that meant
business.

Stelton obeyed the command sullenly. Then Larkin, keeping him covered,
picked up the Winchester and found another .45 in an extra holster thrown
over the pommel of the saddle. Next he took down Stelton's rope.

Larkin was satisfied with his investigations. "Turn around and face the
rock, and hold your hands out behind you!" he ordered.

With the wicked glitter of an animal at bay in his eye, Stelton did as he
was told, and in a moment Larkin had him bound and helpless, and on the
end of a tether. Still covering his man, he mounted Stelton's horse and
told him to march ahead.

[Illustration: But the sheepman was not idle, and had both guns working
so accurately that at last Stelton drew in his head.]

In this manner they traveled the quarter-mile to Bud's animal. There they
exchanged beasts, and started on the long ride back to the sheep c