dicine, Bob. Our work's got to be smoother than that. How do we
know they got the old man a prisoner there? What excuse we got for
attacktin' a peaceable house? A friend of mine's brother onct got shot
up makin' a similar mistake. Maybe Crawford's there. Maybe he ain't. Say
he is. All right. There's some gun-play back and forth like as not. A
b'ilin' of men pour outa the place. We go in and find the old man with a
bullet right spang through his forehead. Well, ain't that too bad! In the
rookus his own punchers must 'a' gunned him accidental. How would that
story listen in court?"

"It wouldn't listen good to me. Howcome Crawford to be a prisoner there,
I'd want to know."

"Sure you would, and Steelman would have witnesses a-plenty to swear the
old man had just drapped in to see if they couldn't talk things over and
make a settlement of their troubles."

"All right. What's yore programme, then?" asked Bob.

"Darned if I know. Say we scout the ground over first."

They made a wide circuit and approached the house from the rear, worming
their way through the Indian grass toward the back door. Dave crept
forward and tried the door. It was locked. The window was latched and the
blind lowered. He drew back and rejoined his companion.

"No chance there," he whispered.

"How about the roof?" asked Hart.

It was an eight-roomed house. From the roof two dormers jutted. No light
issued from either of them.

Dave's eyes lit.

"What's the matter with takin' a whirl at it?" his partner continued.
"You're tophand with a rope."

"Suits me fine."

The young puncher arranged the coils carefully and whirled the loop
around his head to get the feel of the throw. It would not do to miss the
first cast and let the rope fall dragging down the roof. Some one might
hear and come out to investigate.

The rope snaked forward and up, settled gracefully over the chimney, and
tightened round it close to the shingles.

"Good enough. Now me for the climb," murmured Hart.

"Don't pull yore picket-pin, Bob. Me first."

"All right. We ain't no time to debate. Shag up, old scout."

Dave slipped off his high-heeled boots and went up hand over hand, using
his feet against the rough adobe walls to help in the ascent. When he
came to the eaves he threw a leg up and clambered to the roof. In another
moment he was huddled against the chimney waiting for his companion.

As soon as Hart had joined him he pulled up the rope and wound it round