good enough for me," said Rathburn cheerfully. "All I need is
a name to call you by. Now, Percy, if you're acquainted with this
country in here an' can steer the way to where the posse'll be liable
to overlook us you better be leading on. I see you've ditched your
other gun somewhere--you had two."

"So you want me to take you where you'll be safe so you can rob me,
maybe shoot me down, an' then make your get-away," the other
accused.

Rathburn looked him straight in the eyes. "If you think I'm the kind
of a man who'd shoot another down in cold blood when he was helpless
you don't know much about human beings," he said slowly. "I have no
intention of murdering you or harming you a-tall, if you're halfway
careful. If you feel that it's against your principles to lead this
expedition to temporary safety, we can turn back toward Dry Lake.
We're going to do one thing or the other within one minute!"

"Oh, come on," muttered the captive. He led the way through the timber
to its western edge, then turned north in the shelter of the trees
traversing a long, high, rocky ridge.

"Our horses won't leave any tracks here," he called back. "Or maybe
you don't care whether we leave any tracks or not," he added
sarcastically.

Rathburn spurred his horse alongside of him. "It doesn't make a bit of
difference to me," he said. "You're the one that's got to be scared of
that posse, Percy, not me. If it wasn't for one thing I'd take you
right down there to meet 'em!"

The other looked at him both in anger and perplexity. "Suppose you'd
object to tellin' what that one thing is," he said savagely.

"Well, it may be that I feel sorry for you," said Rathburn as if to
himself. "An' it may be that I want credit for bringing you in without
the help of any posse an' without them knowing it!"

CHAPTER VI

THE REAL LOW-DOWN

They rode on in silence. When they reached the north end of the ridge
the man in the lead turned west on a slope studded with large boulders
and rock outcroppings. There was considerable shale here, too, and
they had to proceed cautiously in spots, both for fear of sliding down
the shale and to prevent making much noise.

"If they follow us up here, we can hear 'em before they get to us,"
said the man who called himself Percy, with a shrug and a frowning
look at his companion.

Rathburn did not reply.

They continued across the slope and descended into a large bowl or
pocket, guarded by huge boulders an