itching body, alert, every nerve taut,
his finger crooked to the trigger of his rifle. But again Blenham had
withdrawn. In the little rudely circular hollow from which Blenham had
fired point-blank at Yellow Barbee was Terry's hat, trodden underfoot.
Again it was as though the mountain had swallowed the man and the girl
he had taken with him.

But a moment later Steve saw and understood. Not ten steps from where
he stood was the mouth of a cave. Into it Blenham had retreated. In
there was Blenham now; Blenham and Terry with him. And the way, for
the moment at least, was securely blocked. Evidently here was a
hangout known before, previously employed. It had a door made of heavy
cedar slabs. The door was shut, and, of course, barred from within.

"Terry!" called Steve.

Terry sought to answer; he heard her voice in inarticulate terror,
little more than a gasp, choked back in her throat. Steve went dead
white. He visualized Blenham's hands upon her.

He came on to the door, his rifle clubbed. There was but the one thing
to do; smash down the door and so come at Blenham the shortest,
quickest, only way.

Then Blenham called to him for the first time.

"Fool, are you, Steve Packard? Look at that door. Don't you know
before you can batter it down I can pick you off! An' I can do more'n
that!"

As though he had cruelly drawn it from her, there came again Terry's
scream. Steve sprang forward and struck at the heavy cedar planks.
And Blenham called out again:

"Maybe you can break your way in; there's enough of you. But you'll
find her dead when the door falls!"

Steve had again lifted his rifle. Now he let it sink slowly so that
the butt came to rest gently upon the rock at his feet. Blenham held
the high hand; Blenham was unthinkably vile; Blenham was desperate.
And Terry, his little Terry on whom Blenham had always looked with the
eye of a brute and a beast, was in there, just beyond three inches of
solid seasoned cedar planking.

"If you harm her in the least--" It was Steve's voice though certainly
at first neither Blenham nor even Terry could have recognized it. "If
you harm her in the least, Blenham, I'll kill you. Not all at
once--just by inches!"

Blenham answered him coolly.

"I know when I've lost a trick, Steve Packard. This ain't the firs'
one an' it ain't goin' to be the last. I've played 'em high an' I
always knowed I took chances. But I'm playin' safe! Get me? Safe!"