now.

Every man pushed forward to have a hand in it.

"Good enough," nodded Yeager. "We'll want rifles, boys. Looks to me like
hell might be a-popping before mo'ning grows very ancient. We'll set out
from Turkey Creek Crossroads two hours from now. Any man not on hand
then will get left behind.

"And remember--this is a man hunt! No talking, boys. We don't want the
news that we're coming spread all over the hills before we arrive."

As Jim descended from the rostrum, his roving gaze fell on Phyl
Sanderson standing in the doorway. Her fears had stolen the color even
from her lips, but the girl's beauty had never struck him more
poignantly.

Misery stared at him out of her fine eyes, yet the unconscious courage
of her graceful poise--erect, with head thrown back so that he could
even see the pulse beat in the brown throat--suggested anything but
supine surrender to her terror. Before he could reach her she had
slipped into the night, and he could not find her.

Men dribbled in to the Turkey Creek Crossroads along as many trails as
the ribs of a fan running to a common centre. Jim waited, watch open,
and when it said that seven o'clock had come he snapped it shut and gave
the word to set out.

It was a grim, business-like posse, composed of good men and true who
had been sifted in the impartial sieve of life on the turbid frontier.
Moreover, they were well led. A certain hard metallic quality showed in
the voice and eye of Jim Yeager that boded no good for the man who faced
him in combat to-day. He rode with his gaze straight to the front,
toward that cleft in the hills where lay Gregory's Pass. The others fell
in behind, a silent, hard-bitten outfit as ever took the trail for that
most dangerous of all big game--the hidden outlaw.

The little bunch of riders had not gone far before Purdy, who was
riding in the rear, called to Yeager.

"Somebody coming hell-to-split after us, Jim."

It turned out to be Buck Weaver, who had been notified by telephone of
what was taking place. A girl had called him up out of his sleep, and he
had pounded the road hard to get in at the finish.

Jim explained the situation in a few words and offered to yield command
to the owner of the Twin Star ranch. But Buck declined.

"You're the boss of this _rodeo_, Yeager. I'm riding in the ranks
to-day."

"How did you hear we were rounding-up to-day?" Jim asked.

"Some one called me up," Buck answered briefly, but he did not think it