iling a rope, had raced down the valley hoping to sweep
away the tent, to send its occupant sprawling, its contents scattered in
a confusion of which advantage would be taken to chase the three off
their claims, taken by surprise, made ridiculous.

Sandy and Sam, searching for a convenient tent site, had happened upon a
mass of outcrop, overgrown by brush. Over this they had pitched the
tent, using the rock for table, propping their dummies about it. If
dynamite was flung it would find something to work against. They had not
anticipated the use of the rope to demolish the canvas any more than the
two riders had expected to bring up against a boulder. The impact, with
their ponies spurred, urged on by their shouts to their limit, tore the
cinches of one saddle loose, jerked it from the horse and catapulted the
unprepared rider over its head, flying through the air to land heavily,
while his mount, unencumbered, frightened, went careering off leaving
its breathless master stunned amid the sage.

As the cinches had given way at one end, the line itself had parted at
the other. The second pony had stumbled sidewise, rolling before the man
was free from the saddle. They could hear it thrashing in the willows,
the rider cursing as he tried to remount while Sandy ran cat-footed down
the hill, leaving Mormon and Sam to handle the other. If there had been
assistants to the raid they had melted away, willing enough to join in a
drive against men yanked from their tent, defenseless, but not at all
eager to face the guns of those same men on the alert, the aggressive.

Mormon and Sam found their man groaning and limp.

"Don't believe he's bu'sted anything," announced Sam, "'less he's druv
his neck inter his shoulders. Got his saddle, Mormon?"

"Yep. Want the rope?"

They trussed their captive with the lariat still snubbed to his
saddle-horn. Down in the willows there was a flash, a report, a
scurrying flight punctuated by an oath almost as vivid as the shot.
Sandy came up the hill toward them.

"Miss him?" asked Mormon.

"It was sure dahk," said Sandy, "and I hated to plug the hawss. So I
only took one shot to cheer him on his way. He was mountin' at the time
an' it was a snapshot. I aimed at the seat of his pants. I w'udn't be
surprised but what he's ridin' so't of one-sided. Who you got here? Tote
him down-hill. I don't believe they bu'sted the lantern. We'll take a
look at him."

Sandy retrieved the lantern from the co