d into the air. The
distance was scarce a hundred yards. Phil could not doubt that his
former friend had purposely spared his life. The boy's rifle dropped
from his shoulder.

"Brill wouldn't shoot at me! I couldn't kill him!" he shouted to
Weaver, as the latter rode up.

Buck nodded. "Let me have him!" And he plunged into the gorge after the
men that had disappeared.

Twice Keller's rifle spat at Healy and his companion as they plowed
forward across the boulder bed, but the difficulty of shooting from far
above at moving figures almost directly below saved the rustlers. They
reached a thick growth of aspens and disappeared. Healy parted company
with his ally at the place where the trail to the summit of Point o'
Rocks led up.

"Break south when you get out of the gulch, Sam. In half an hour it will
be night, and you'll be safe. So-long."

"Where you going, Brill?"

"I'm going to settle accounts with that dashed spy!" answered Healy,
with an epithet. "Inside of half an hour either Keller or I will be down
and out!"

The outlaw took the stiff incline leisurely, for he knew Keller could
come down only this way, and he had no mind to let himself get so
breathed as to disturb the sureness of his aim. The aspen grove ran like
a forked tongue up the ridge for a couple of hundred yards. As Healy
emerged from it he saw a rider just disappearing over the shoulder of
the hill in front of him. For an instant he had an amazed impression
that the figure was that of a woman, but he dismissed this as absurd.
He went the more cautiously, for he now knew that there would be two for
him to deal with on the Point instead of one--unless Brad reached the
scene in time to assist him.

The sound of a shot drifted down to him, followed presently by a far,
faint cry of terror. What had happened was this:

Keller, turning away from the overhanging ledge from which he had seen
the outlaws vanish into the grove, looked down the long slope
preliminary to descending. He was surprised to see a horse and rider
halfway between him and the aspen tongue. To him, too, there came a
swift impression that it was a woman, and almost at once something in
the poise of the gallant figure told him what woman. His heart leaped to
meet her. He waved a hand, and broke into a run.

But only for two strides. For there had come to him a warning. He swung
on his heel and waited. Again he heard the light rumble of shale, and
before that had died away a sini