loping horsemen. Presently the
riders dipped for a minute behind a swell of ground.

"A heap more comfortable ridin' here," Dud said, easing his horse for a
few moments to a slower pace. "I never did know before why the good Lord
made so much of this country stand up on end, but if I get outa this hole
I'll not kick at travelin' over hills so frequent. They sure got their
uses when Injuns are pluggin' at you."

They made as wide a circuit as the foothills would allow. At times they
were under a brisk fire as they cantered through the sage. This increased
when they swung across the mesa toward the river. Fortunately they were
now almost out of range.

Riding along the edge of the bluff, they found a place where their
sure-footed cowponies could slide and scramble down. In the valley, as
they dashed across to the willows where Bob had left Houck, they were
again under fire. Even after they had plunged into the thicket of
saplings they could hear bullets zipping through the foliage to right and
left.

The glazed eyes in Houck's flushed face did not recognize the punchers.
Defiance glowered in his stare.

"Where'd you get the notion, you red devils, that Jake Houck is a
quitter? Torment me, will you? Burn me up with thirst, eh? Go to it an'
see."

Bob took a step or two toward the wounded man. "Don't you know me, Houck?
We've come to look after you. This is Dud Hollister. You know him."

"What if I did gun him?" the high-pitched voice maundered on. "Tried to
steal my bronc, he did, an' I wouldn't stand for it a minute.... All
right. Light yore fires. Burn me up, you hounds of Hades. I'm not askin'
no favors. Not none a-tall."

The big man's hand groped at his belt. Brown fingers closed on the butt
of a forty-five. Instantly both rescuers were galvanized to life. Dud's
foot scraped into the air a cloud of sand and dust as Bob dived forward.
He plunged at Houck a fraction of a second behind his friend.

Into the blue sky a bullet went singing. Bob had been in time to knock
the barrel of the revolver up with his outflung hand.

CHAPTER XXXV

THREE IN A PIT

Wounded though he was, Houck managed to make a good deal of trouble for
the punchers before they pinned him down and took the forty-five from
him. His great strength was still at command, and he had the advantage
that neither of his rescuers wanted to injure him during the struggle.
They thrashed over the ground, arms and legs outflung wildly. Houck g