oint for which they were starting. He leaped to the ground and warned
them back with his rifle. While he covered them a second man rode up and
lifted Bannister to his saddle.

"Ready, Mac," he gave the word, and both horses disappeared with
their riders over the brow of the hill. When the surprised desperadoes
recovered themselves and reached that point the rescuers had disappeared
in the heavy brush.

The alarm was at once given, and their captain, cursing them in a
raucous bellow for their blunder, ordered immediate pursuit. It was some
little time before the trail of the fugitives was picked up, but once
discovered they were over hauled rapidly.

"We're not going to get out without swapping lead," McWilliams admitted
anxiously. "I wisht y'u wasn't hampered with that load, but I reckon
I'll have to try to stand them off alone."

"We bucked into a slice of luck when I opened on his bronc mavericking
around alone. Hadn't been for that we could never have made it," said
Missou, who never crossed a bridge until he came to it.

"We haven't made it yet, old hoss, not by a long mile, and two more on
top o' that. They're beginning to pump lead already. Huh! Got to drap
your pills closer'n that 'fore y'u worry me."

"I believe he's daid, anyway," said Missou presently, peering down into
the white face of the unconscious man.

"Got to hang onto the remains, anyhow, for Miss Helen. Those coyotes are
too much of the wolf breed to leave him with them."

"Looks like they're gittin' the aim some better," equably remarked the
other a minute later, when a spurt of sand flew up in front of him.

"They're ce'tainly crowding us. I expaict I better send them a
'How-de-do?' so as to discourage them a few." He took as careful aim as
he could on the galloping horse, but his bullet went wide.

"They're gaining like sixty. It's my offhand opinion we better stop at
that bunch of trees and argue some with them. No use buck-jumpin' along
to burn the wind while they drill streaks of light through us."

"All right. Take the trees. Y'u'll be able to get into the game some
then."

They debouched from the road to the little grove and slipped from their
horses.

"Deader'n hell," murmured Missou, as he lifted the limp body from his
horse. "But I guess we'll pack what's left back to the little lady at
the Lazy D."

The leader of the pursuers halted his men just out of range and came
forward alone, holding his right hand up in the usual s