ted the sheriff. "How?"

And he stood staring blankly, with a touch or horror in his face.

"By God, Mat's plugged."

"Mat Henshaw? Wha--?"

"Clean through the head."

He lay in an oddly twisted heap, as though every bone in his body were
broken, and when they drew him about they found the red mark in his
forehead and even made out the dull surprise in his set face. There had
been no pain in that death, the second for the sake of Grey Molly.

"The other two!" said the sheriff, more to himself than to Vic, who
stood beside him.

"Easy, Pete," he cautioned. "You got nothin' agin Haines and Daniels."

The sheriff flashed at him that hungry, baffled glance.

"Maybe I can find something. You Gregg, keep your mouth shut and stand
back. Halloo!"

He sent a long call quavering between the lonely mountains.

"You yonder--Lee Haines! D'you give up to the law?"

A burst of savage laughter flung back at him, and then: "Why the hell
should I?"

"Haines, I give you fair warnin'! For resistin' the law and interferin',
I ask you, do you surrender?"

"Who are you?"

The big voice fairly swallowed the rather shrill tone of the sheriff.

"I'm sheriff Pete Glass."

"You lie. Whoever heard of a sheriff come sneakin' round like a coyote
lookin' for dead meat?"

Pete Glass grinned with rage.

"Haines, you ain't much better'n spoiled meat if you keep back. I gave
you till I count ten--"

"Why, you bob-tailed skunk," shouted a new voice. "You bone-spavined,
pink-eyed rat-catcher," continued this very particular describer, "what
have you got on us? Come out and dicker and we'll do the same!"

The sheriff sighed, softly, deeply.

"I thought maybe they wouldn't get down to talk," he murmured. But since
the last chance for a battle was gone, he stepped fearlessly from behind
his rock and advanced into the open. Two tall figures came to meet him.

"Now," said Lee Haines, stalking forward. "One bad move, just the glint
of a single gun from the rest of you sheep thieves, and I'll tame your
pet sheriff and send him to hell for a model."

They halted, close to each other, the two big men, Haines in the front,
and the sheriff.

"You're Lee Haines?"

"You've named me."

"And you're Buck Daniels?"

"That's me."

"Gents, you've resisted an officer of the law in the act of makin' an
arrest. I s'pose you know what that means?"

Big Lee Haines laughed.

"Don't start a bluff, sheriff. I know a bit about the law."

"Ma