were shot to
death. You'd located the rustlers' camp. You needed to see me quick."
Jeff's words came swiftly. Then after a pause he added: "You didn't
send him along? Who did?"

As Jeff watched the man's deliberate shake of the head he became aware
of a muffled sound, somewhere away beyond the door. It was faint, but,
to him, unmistakable. He gave no sign.

"Where are the other boys?" he demanded.

"Out on cattle guard."

The movement beyond the door again penetrated the silence of the hut.
Now it was that the ranchman made his mistake. Only for an instant did
he turn his head and eyes in the direction of the sound. But it was
sufficient.

Jeff's voice rasped again.

"Stand up, darn you! Stand up!"

Sikkem's gaze came back abruptly, and on the instant his right hand
flew to his waist for his guns. But the muzzle of Jeff's revolver was
within a foot of his head, and behind it his coldly shining eyes.

Sikkem's hand dropped from his waist. He stood up. The law of the gun
was powerfully ingrained upon his mind.

"Loose those guns at your waist--quick! Let 'em drop on the bunk!
Quick, or I'll pump you full of lead!"

The deadliness of Jeff's command was irresistible. The power of that
leveled gun indisputable. The buckle was loosened, and the weapons
fell on the blankets behind the ranchman.

"Now push your hands up! Right up!"

The command was obeyed on the instant, but the look which accompanied
the movement was as deadly as human passion could make it.

"Back away! Back to the far end! Sharp!"

Sikkem moved. But his movement was not rapid enough. Jeff urged him.

In the pause Jeff's straining ears caught again the sound of movement,
and he wondered why development was not precipitated. Perhaps---- But
Sikkem had nearly reached the distant wall, and, at that instant, a
whistle shrilled through the building.

Jeff knew he was trapped. But, with a wonderful sense of detachment,
mind and body worked almost electrically. His revolver spat out its
vicious report. For the fraction of a second he held the smoking lamp
poised in his other hand. Then, like a shooting star, it flew through
the adjacent window and fell extinguished amidst the crash of its own
glass. It was at the complete fall of darkness that the door slammed
closed, and half a dozen shots rang out through the building, followed
by the "plonk" of the bullets embedding themselves in the solid logs
immediately behind wh