y," he said hastily, "gunplay will spoil everything. We got to
take 'em by surprise. Fast running will save us, maybe. Fast shooting
ain't any good when it's one man agin' fifty, and these boys mean
business."

Arizona reluctantly let his gun drop back in its holster. He nodded to
Sinclair. The latter gave his directions swiftly, speaking loudly to
make his voice carry over the roar of the crowd.

"When the door goes down, which it'll do pretty pronto, I'll dive out
from this side, and you run from the other side, straight into the
crowd. I'll turn to the right, and you turn to the left. The minute
you're around the corner of the building shoot back over your shoulder,
or straight into the air. It'll make 'em think that you've stopped and
are going to fight 'em off from the corner. They'll take it slow, you
can bet. Then beat it straight on for the cottonwoods behind the
blacksmith shop."

"They'll drop us the minute we show."

"Sure, we got the long chance, and nothing more. Is that good enough
for you?"

He was rewarded in the dimness by a glint in the eyes of Arizona, and
then the fat man gripped his hand.

"You and me agin' the world."

In the meantime the door was bulging in the center under blows of
increasing weight. A second battering ram was now brought into play,
and the rain of blows was unceasing. Still between shocks, the door
sprang back, but there was a telltale rattle at every blow. Finally, as
a yell sprang up from the crowd at the sight, the upper hinge snapped
loudly, and the door sagged in. Both timbers were now apparently swung
at the same moment. Under the joint impact the door was literally
lifted from its last hinge and hurled inward. And with it lunged the
two battering rams and the men who had wielded them. They tumbled
headlong, carried away by the very weight of their successful blow.

"Now!" called Sinclair, and he sprang with an Indian yell over the
heads of the sprawling men in the doorway and into the thick of the
crowd.

Half a dozen of the drawn guns whipped up at the sight, but no one
could make sure in the half-light of the identity of the man who had
dashed out. Their imaginations placed the two prisoners safely behind
the bars inside. Before they could think twice, a second figure leaped
through the doorway and passed them in the opposite direction.

Then they awakened to the fact, but they awakened in confusion. A dozen
shots blazed in either direction, but they were w