vely. "Go over what I've told you
carefully and don't make any more false moves while you're making up
your mind. You wounded one of my men yesterday."

"I shot high on purpose," Rathburn pointed out. "I didn't aim to be
corralled just then."

"I know you did," was the sheriff's rejoinder. "I know you could have
killed him. I gave you credit for it."

"You give me credit for quite a few things, sheriff," said Rathburn
whimsically. "An' now you'll have to give me credit for bein' plumb
cautious. It ain't my intention to have my thinking spell disturbed."

His gun flashed in his hand.

"I'll have to ask you to go inside an' occupy one of your own cells,
sheriff, while I'm wanderin' around an' debatin' the subject."

"I know you too well, Rathburn," said the sheriff with a grim smile.
"I'm not armed, and I don't intend to obey you. If you intend to shoot
you might just as well start!"

Rathburn gazed at him coolly for a moment; then he shoved his gun in
its holster and leaped.

Quick as he was, Long was quicker. The sheriff was out of his chair in
a twinkling, and he made a flying tackle, grasping Rathburn about the
legs. The two fell to the floor and rolled over and over in their
struggles.

Although Rathburn was the larger man, the sheriff seemed made of steel
wire. He twisted out of Rathburn's holds, one after another. In one
great effort he freed himself and leaped to his feet. Rathburn was up
instantly. Long drove a straight right that grazed Rathburn's jaw and
staggered him, but Rathburn blocked the next blow and succeeded in
upper-cutting his left to the sheriff's chin.

They went into another clinch, and the sheriff got the better of the
close fighting. Rathburn's face was bleeding, where it had been cut on
a leg of the chair, when they were struggling on the floor. The feel
of trickling crimson drove him mad. He threw Long off in an amazing
burst of strength and then sent his right to the sheriff's jaw with
all the force he could put into it.

Long dropped to the floor, and Rathburn raised him and carried him to
a door leading into the jail proper. As he drew open the door, he drew
his gun and threw it down on the astonished jailer who was dozing in
the little office outside the bars.

"Open up!" Rathburn commanded.

The jailer hastened to obey, as he saw the appearance of Rathburn's
face and the dangerous look in his eyes.

Rathburn compelled him at the point of his gun to lead the way to a
cel