un--a vagrant breeze murmuring in the timber.

Then two movements, quick as lightning--too fast for the eye to
follow--and the roar of guns.

Rathburn stepped back, his weapon smoking at his hip, as Carlisle
swayed for a moment and then crumpled upon the ground. Rathburn
quickly drew the piece of paper from his left pocket and the roll of
bills from his right. He put the note with the bills and tossed the
roll to Mannix. Then he stepped back to the doorway.

"Join your men, Mannix," he said quietly.

Mannix thrust the money into a pocket and stood for several seconds
looking directly into Rathburn's eyes. A curious expression was on the
deputy's face, partly wonder, partly admiration, partly doubt. Then he
turned abruptly upon his heel and walked back to the gaping men.

Sautee struggled to his feet. Rathburn motioned to him to join the
others, and he staggered down to them.

Then Rathburn coolly lit a match and touched it to the fuse sticking
out from the box of dynamite.

There was a wild yell of terror, and the mob tumbled down the trail as
Rathburn ran for the trail above the powder house. The men had
disappeared when he turned. His gun leaped into his hand and he
fired--once, twice, three times--the fourth shot cut the burning fuse,
and with a sharp intaking of breath, he ran for his horse, mounted,
and rode into the timber along the trail.

CHAPTER XXV

FILED!

Rathburn picked his way slowly through the timber around to the
southeast and then directly down toward the town. It was slow going,
and the man seemed to relish this fact. His face was thoughtful,
wistful, a bit grave. He occasionally patted his horse's neck.

"We're on our way home, old hoss," he said softly. "Seems like we just
_had_ to stop off here."

He fingered two small objects in his coat pocket.

"I wonder," he murmured. "I wonder if I could be mistaken."

He turned west after a time and rode carefully until he gained a worn
trail. This he followed down toward town, and in half an hour he
dismounted in the timber behind a small cabin at the side of the road
to the hogback.

Rathburn went to the rear door and knocked. He received no answer, but
sounds came to him through an open window. He opened the door softly
and stole inside. There was no one in the kitchen. The sounds came
from another room. He passed on into a bedroom and turned into another
bedroom where he saw a figure in overalls lying on the bed. A great
mass o