t expert rifle shot.
And Kirby knew that if his own splendid mount was almost ready to crash,
the horses of his pursuers must be in worse shape still. So for the
third time since the fight had begun, he laughed. This time there was no
harshness, but only relief, in the sound which came from his dry lips.

Ten minutes later, he flung himself out of his saddle. Like the caress
of a vast, soothing hand, the shadowed coolness of the ravine lay upon
him. As his feet struck ground, they splashed in the water overflowing
from a spring at the base of an immense rock. At once Kirby dropped the
reins on the stallion's neck, giving him his freedom, and as the horse
lowered his head to drink, Kirby stooped also.

There was cover everywhere. Kirby's first move after pulling both
himself and the horse away from the spring, was to glance up the long,
deeply shaded canyon which he had entered--a gash hacked into the breast
of the steep mountain as by a titanic ax. Then, reassured as to the
possibilities for a defensive retreat, he glanced back toward the
dazzling, bare plateau.

* * * * *

It was what he saw taking place amongst the sombreroed bandits out there
which made the grin of satisfaction fade from his broad mouth. His last
glance backward, before bolting into the canyon mouth, had showed him a
ragged squadron of men left far behind, yet galloping after him still.
But now--

Presently a puzzled frown made wrinkles in Freddie Kirby's wide
sunburned forehead. He relaxed his grip upon the heavy Luger, which, in
his big hands, looked like a cap pistol, and rubbed his eyes.

But he was not mistaken. The horsemen had halted! Out there on the
glaring, alkali-arid plateau, they were standing as still as so many
statues. Looking toward the canyon mouth which had swallowed their
quarry, they certainly were, but they were halted as completely as men
struck dead.

"Huh," Kirby grunted, and scratched behind his ear.

The next second he swung around to look at his horse, uncertain what he
was going to do next, but aware of the fact that right now, with a lot
of unknown country between himself and Castanar's sunlit patio, the
stallion was going to be a friend in need.

As he turned, however, prepared to take up the loose reins, something
else happened. The stallion let out a neigh as shrill as a trumpet
blast. As Kirby jumped, grabbed for the bridle, his fingers found empty
air. Like a crazy animal th