e, eagle-like claws gripped at his throat and shut off his
breath.

Again and again, with the fury of desperation, Sassoon drew in his
powerful frame, shot it out, twisted and struggled. Great veins
swelled on his forehead, his breath burst in explosive gasps, he
writhed from side to side--it was all one. After every effort the
cruel fingers at his throat tightened. The heavy knee on his chest
crushed more relentlessly. He lay still.

"Are you awake, Shike?" Sassoon heard from the gloom above him. But he
could not place the voice. "You seem to move around a good deal in
your sleep. If you're awake, keep still. I've come from Sleepy Cat to
get you. Don't mind looking for your gun and knife. Two men are with
me. You can have your choice. We've got a horse for you. You can ride
away from us here inside the Gap, and take what hits you in the back,
or you can go to Sleepy Cat with us and stand your trial. I'll read
your warrant when the sun gets a little higher. Get up and choose
quick."

Sassoon could not see who had subdued him, nor did he take long to
decide what to do. Scott had predicted he would go without much fuss,
and de Spain, now somewhat surprised, found Bob right in his forecast.
With less trouble than he expected, the captor got his man sullenly on
horseback, and gave him severely plain directions as to what not to
do. Sassoon, neither bound nor gagged, was told to ride his horse down
the Gap closely ahead of de Spain and neither to speak nor turn his
head no matter what happened right or left. To get him out in this
manner was, de Spain realized, the really ticklish part of the
undertaking.

Fortune, however, seemed to favor his assurance in invading the lions'
den. In the growing light the two men trotted smartly a mile down the
trail without encountering a sign of life. When they approached the
Morgan ranch-house de Spain again felt qualms. But he rode close to
his prisoner, told him in restrained monologue what would happen if he
made a noise, and even held him back in his pace as they trotted
together past the Gap stronghold. Nevertheless, he breathed more
freely when they left the house behind and the turn in the road put
them out of range of its windows. He closed up the distance between
himself and Sassoon, riding close in to his side, and looked back at
the house. He looked quickly, but though his eyes were off his path
and his prisoner for only a fraction of a second, when he looked ahead
again