three armed men showed at the door.

"Darn my skin if the old son of a gun hasn't hogged all the glory!" Bob
Farnum complained joyfully. "Won't you introduce us to your friends,
Bellamy?"

"This gentleman with the biscuit in his hand is Buck; the one so partial
to porterhouse steak is Tom," returned Bellamy gravely.

"Glad to death to meet you, gents. Your hands seem so busy drilling for
the ceiling, we won't shake right now. If it would be any kindness to you,
I'll unload all this hardware, though. My! You tote enough with you to
start a store, boys."

"How did you find your way in?" growled Buck.

"Jest drifted in on our automobiles and airships," Bob told him airily, as
he unbuckled the revolver belt and handed it to one of his friends.

The outlaws were bound, after which Rosario cooked the posse a dinner.
This was eaten voraciously by all, for camp life had sharpened the
appetite for a woman's cooking.

One of the men kept watch to notify them when MacQueen and his gang should
enter the valley, while the others played "pitch" to pass the time. In
spite of this, the hours dragged. It was a good deal like waiting for a
battle to begin. Bellamy and Farnum had no nerves, but the others became
nervous and anxious.

"I reckon something is keeping them," suggested Alan, after looking at his
watch for the fifth time in half an hour. "Don't you reckon we better go
up the trail a bit to meet them?"

"I reckon we better wait here, Alan. Bid three," returned Farnum evenly.

As he spoke, their scout came running in.

"They're here, boys!"

"Good enough! How many of them?"

"Four of 'em, looked like. They were winding down the trail, and I
couldn't make out how many."

"All right, boys. Steady, now, till they get down from their horses. Hal,
out with the light when I give the word."

It was a minute to shake nerves of steel. They could hear the sound of
voices, an echo of jubilant laughter, the sound of iron shoes striking
stones in the trail. Then some one shouted:

"Oh, you, Buck!"

The program might have gone through as arranged, but for an unlooked-for
factor in the proceedings. Buck let out a shout of warning to his trapped
friends. Almost at the same instant the butt of Farnum's revolver smashed
down on his head; but the damage was already done.

Bellamy and his friends swarmed out like bees. The outlaws were waiting
irresolutely--some mounted, others beside their horses. Among them were
two pack hor