ank a guy--"

But Meldrum had heard all he could stand. He had to do murder or get
out. He slammed the coffee-pot down on the floor and bolted out of the
open door. His arms whirled in violent gestures as he strode away. An
unbroken stream of profanity floated back to mark his anabasis.

Meldrum did not once look round as he went on his explosive way to the
gulch, but Roy Beaudry crouched lower behind the cactus until the man
had disappeared. Then he crawled back to the grove, slipped through
it, and crept to the shelter of the boulder bed.

It would not do for him to return down the canon during daylight, for
fear he might meet one of the Rutherfords coming to relieve Ned. He
passed from one boulder to another, always working up toward the wall
of the gulch. Behind a big piece of sandstone shaped like a flatiron
he lay down and waited for the hours to pass.

It was twilight when he stole down to the trail and began his return
journey.

Chapter X

Dave Takes a Ride

Dave Dingwell had sauntered carelessly out of the Legal Tender on the
night of his disappearance. He was apparently at perfect ease with a
friendly world. But if any one had happened to follow him out of the
saloon, he would have seen an odd change in the ranchman. He slid
swiftly along the wall of the building until he had melted into the
shadows of darkness. His eyes searched the neighborhood for lurking
figures while he crouched behind the trunk of a cottonwood. Every
nerve of the man was alert, every muscle ready for action. One brown
hand lingered affectionately close to the butt of his revolver.

He had come out of the front door of the gambling-house because he knew
the Rutherfords would expect him, in the exercise of ordinary common
sense, to leave by the rear exit. That he would be watched was
certain. Therefore, he had done the unexpected and walked boldly out
through the swinging doors.

As his eyes became accustomed to the darkness, he made out a horse in
the clump of trees about twenty yards to the left. Whether it was
Teddy he could not be sure, but there was no time to lose. Already a
signal whistle had shrilled out from the other side of the street.
Dave knew this was to warn the guards at the rear of the Legal Tender
that their prey was in the open.

He made a dash for the tree clump, but almost as he reached it, he
swung to the left and circled the small grove so as to enter it from
the other side. As he