ng saint," he sneered, "stay where you are, then--till
we're good and ready to let you go!"

He strode to the door, Munson following him. "If he tries to get away,"
Alex heard him add as he mounted his horse, "shoot him! I'll protect
you!"

"You _are_ a young fool, all right," Munson said, returning. "You've
simply made it worse for yourself. You've sure now got to stay right
here, indefinite.

"And, as he ordered," the cowman added determinedly, "if you try to make
a break-away of it, I'll sure shoot--and shoot to kill! When I go into a
thing, I put it through!"

Alex, however, had no intention of staying, whatever the risks, and when
presently Munson, after assuring himself that the knots were secure,
passed out, he immediately addressed himself to the task of making his
escape. It did not look difficult at first sight, since both hands were
free, and only one foot tied. But an energetic attempt to loosen the
cleverly-tied slip-loop failed as completely as it had the night before.
Likewise, strain as he could at the cot leg, he could not budge it, so
firmly was it driven into the hard ground.

With something like despair Alex at last relinquished these endeavors,
and turned to the problem of cutting the rope in some way. In the hope of
finding a nail with which he might pick or fray the lariat apart, he made
a thorough examination of the cot. There were nails, but they were driven
in beyond hope of drawing with his fingers.

Dispiritedly Alex relinquished the search, and sat up. His eyes wandered
to the window near him. Starting to his feet, he strained toward it.

The lower corner of one of the panes had been broken, and the triangle of
glass leaned inward loosely. With a low expression of hope Alex was
reaching for it, when from the rear of the cabin sounded the returning
footsteps of the cowman. Speedily Alex sank back on the cot, and assumed
an air of dejection.

A few minutes later the boy again found himself alone. But in the
meantime he had decided to leave the securing of the fragment of glass
and the attempt at escape until night. In further preparation for the
attempt Alex that afternoon stretched himself on the cot, and slept
several hours.

To the young operator it seemed that the cowman would never retire that
night. And when at length he blew out the light, and threw himself upon
his bed, he apparently lay an interminable time awake. At length,
however, when the moonlight in the window pointed