hot, dropped dead where he stood.

Now there was no word spoken. The helpless cowmen huddled against the wall
while the hail of bullets swept over them in both directions, cursed
softly to themselves, and smoked cigarettes. The punchers, having learned
the lay of the land, drew off for consultation. Half of them were
dispatched around the butte that protected the defenders and the plan of
attack was changed.

On signal, the parties from both sides charged along the face of the butte
toward each other, this movement being calculated to bring them out close
to the enclosure without the danger of an attack in front, and at the same
time give them the chance to fire upon the sheepmen from a destructive
angle at either side.

The maneuver resulted in concentrating the fire within a zone of
twenty-five yards, and it was fire so murderous that, before the cowboys
could get out of range, ten were dead or wounded, while two of the
sheepmen were killed outright and a third was disabled and rolled out into
the sun to writhe in agony until his pal ran from cover and dragged him
back.

The result was now a foregone conclusion, for the cowboys had solved the
difficult problem of attack. Mushrooming out on either side at a distance
of three hundred yards, they formed again in the shelter on either side
and charged once more.

The wounded man, hearing the drumming of hoofs, seized his revolver,
rolled out into the sun, and sat up on the ground. And from this position
he emptied his gun at the yelling cowboys until another shot put him out
of his misery.

More cowboys fell, and now, in front of the stone breastworks, a dozen
bodies lay, some twitching, and others still. The number of the defenders
was reduced to five capable of holding and using a weapon, for such
marksmen were the punchers that, if they did not kill outright, their
bullets inflicted mortal wounds.

Jimmie Welsh was undisturbed and unhurt. He and Newt were sheltered behind
one rock, while Tip and Lem defended another, and Chuck Durstine held a
third by the side of his dead partner, Red. The fourth charge found them
lying on the ground, contrary to their former practice of standing, and
they escaped unhurt, although their ability to shoot the mounted punchers
above the wall was not diminished. Again they wrought terrible havoc.

"I sure wish I could've cleaned up on that straight flush, Billy,"
remarked Jimmie Welsh to Speaker.

"So do I, Jimmie," returned the