n his saddle uneasily. For Rathburn's gaze had narrowed; and it shot
from his eyes steel blue with a flash of fire. His face had set in
cold, grim lines. The whole nature of the man seemed to undergo a
change. He radiated menace, contempt, cold resentment. The corners of
his mouth twisted down sharply. His voice, as he spoke now, seemed
edged like a knife.

"Lamy, hand over that money!"

Lamy's brows lifted in swift comprehension; a look of cunning came
into his eyes--was followed by a gleam of hope, not unmixed with
derision. He thrust his hands into his coat pockets and held out bills
and silver to Rathburn who stuffed the plunder into his own pockets.

"That all of it?" demanded Rathburn sharply. He made no effort to
temper the tones of his voice.

For answer Lamy dug into his trousers' pockets, under his chaps, and
produced two more rolls of bills.

"That's the chunk," he said with a sneering inflection in his voice.
"If you want I'll stand a frisk."

"No, I won't search you. I take it you're too sensible to lie!"

"Thanks," replied Lamy dryly. "I suppose I'm free to go now, unless
you figure you'd be safer by killin' me off."

Anger, swift and uncontrollable, leaped into Rathburn's eyes. Then he
laughed, softly and mirthlessly. "If I'd been minded to do for you, or
had any such idea in my head, I'd have given it to you long before
this," he said. "It's lucky for you, Lamy, that I'm pretty much the
breed you thought I was."

"Don't pose!" retorted Lamy hotly. "You intended to get that money and
make me the goat if you could, from the start. If you'd had any idea
of turnin' me over to Brown you'd have done that little thing, too,
long before this."

"Maybe so," Rathburn mused, staring at the other thoughtfully in the
dim light of the stars. "Maybe I will yet. You're not out of this--an'
neither am I. Those shadows down to the left are getting plainer.
What's that long dark streak over there on the right?"

"Those are trees," answered Lamy sneeringly.

"Let's make for 'em," ordered Rathburn. "Don't forget you're still
under orders, Lamy. An' don't overlook the fact that I'm more or less
in earnest about things in general," he added significantly.

They rode at a tangent for the dark shadow of the trees. At the edge
of the timber ensued another long wait, with Rathburn uncommunicative,
moodily pacing restlessly back and forth. The horses had another
excellent opportunity to rest and the fagged animals t