le the fates had been kind to Avon, in that he escaped death by
the narrowest conceivable chance, they seemed equally well disposed
toward the object of his wrath. The boast of the pursuer as to the
fleetness of his mustang was warranted, and had the circumstances
continued favorable for only a few minutes, he would have brought his
young rider beside the fleeing steed, where the account between the two
men must have been quickly settled.

But at the very moment of starting, the forelegs of Thunderbolt sank
into a hole above the knees. His activity saved him from harm, but his
rider took a header over his ears, sprawling on the wet grass in front
with a shock that stunned him.

By the time he could rally and remount his mustang, the other was not
only beyond sight, but his listening ear could not detect the slightest
sound of the flying hoofs.

"He has escaped this time," thought Avon, as he once more resumed his
place in the saddle, "but the account is still open and must be settled
very soon."

He was right, except that the account was closed not only sooner than he
suspected, but in a manner of which he never dreamed.

Despite his alarming experience he had not lost his reckoning, and,
facing toward the bed-ground of the herd, he had ridden but a short way,
when the familiar sounds told him he was near the animals from which he
was lost only a short time before.

"They are here, Baby, just as I thought." The remark was made by
Gleeson, who loomed up in the gloom as he spoke, with his mustang on a
deliberate walk.

"I am glad of that, and, since no one beside you and me knows of our
slip last night, we'll keep it to ourselves."

"I've no objection; but didn't I hear a gun go off a few minutes ago?
What was you shooting at?"

"It wasn't _I_--someone shot at _me_."

And thereupon Avon related the particulars of his encounter with the
treacherous horseman. Gleeson listened and said nothing until he had
finished. Then, with a characteristic exclamation, he expressed his
regret that Thunderbolt should have stumbled as he did.

"Keep your eyes open," he added. "I'll do the same, and we'll get the
drop on him soon."

"Why does he want to hurt _me_?" asked Avon, "when there has never been
a word between us?"

"It's the nature of the animal," was the reply. "It wouldn't have made
any difference whether it was you or me, so he thought he had a sure
thing of it. That's what he's here for."

It was evident from