Harrison, watching with narrowed eyes the stone-wall face of his captor,
jeered at him hardily.

"Now you got a strangle holt on me, what you aim to do?"

"I'm going to take you back to the boys that are combing these hills for
you. They'll do all that's done."

The prisoner's sneer went out of commission. He did not need to ask what
Arizona cowpunchers would do to him under the circumstances.

"I figured your size was about a twenty-two--not big enough to fight it
out alone with me. Once is a-plenty."

The cave man's desire to beat down his enemy with his naked hands
smouldered fiercely in the cowpuncher's heart.

"Step out in front of me and saddle those horses," he ordered.

Harrison looked at him murderously. His mouth was an ugly, crooked gash.
Boiling with rage, he saddled, cinched, and watered the horses.

Ruth had returned with Steve's pony. Her heart beat fast with
excitement. An instinct told her they were about to come to grips in
epic struggle.

"You're mighty high-heeled now when you got a gun thrown on me. Put it
in the discard and I'll beat the life out o' you," threatened the
prizefighter.

Not releasing the other man with his eyes, Yeager lent one hand to help
Ruth mount. He gave clear, curt instructions in a level voice.

"Take all three horses and ride to the edge of the mesa. Wait there.
One of us--either him or me--will come up there after a while. If it's
him, take all the horses and light out. Keep the moon on your left and
ride straight forward till daybreak. You'll see a gash in the hills
about where the sun rises. That's Sieber's Pass. The boys will be
waiting for you. Understand?"

"Yes, but--What are you going to do, Steve?" she cried almost in a
whisper.

"That's my business--and I'm going to attend to it. Keep your mind on
the directions I've given. If it's Harrison that comes up over the hill,
get right out with all the horses. Gimme your promise on that."

Trembling, she gave it to him.

"Don't you be afraid. No need of that. _It won't be him. It'll be me
that comes._ But if it should be him, don't let him get close. Shoot him
first. It will be to save you from worse than death. Have you got the
nerve to do it?"

Something in his manner, in his voice, rang a bell in her heart. She
nodded, her throat too dry for speech.

"All right. Go now. And don't make any mistake whatever you do. Follow
out exactly what I've told you."

Again she promised. He handed to her the