inding way through a desolate region, over rock that left no sign and
wound by twists and turns that none but the initiated could follow. The
place, accidentally discovered, was perfect for its purpose.

There were some horses now in the Hideout, the lot purchased from the
man from Phoenix, whom Butch suspected. But Parsons was of a suspicious
disposition and the rest had overruled him, though the purchase had
taken most of the cash at their disposal, until they could make the sale
that had fallen through at the last minute. There was feed enough for
the entire herd for a month. There was a cabin in a side gully of the
park, near the blocked entrance, the whole place was honeycombed with
caves, in the towering sidewalls and underground.

Five of the nine left of the Waterline outfit drove the herd. Hahn and
Parsons could both ride, but they were not experts at handling horses.
They chose to go with Plimsoll and the outfit-cook, while the rest took
the long way round to the other way in. The four lingered to give the
rest a start. There was some liquor left and this they started to
dispose of. At noon the cook got a farewell meal and they mounted.

"I hate leaving the country without evening up some way with the Bourke
outfit," said Plimsoll. "Damn him and the rest of them, they broke the
luck for us. As for the girl, if...?"

"Oh, quit throwing the bull con about that, Jim," said Parsons bluntly.
"Sandy Bourke's a damn good man for you to leave alone an' you know it.
Talk ain't goin' to hurt him."

"I'm coming back some time," said Plimsoll with a string of oaths. "Then
you'll see something besides talk."

Parsons jeered at him. Plimsoll was no longer the leader and he knew it.
But he hung on to the semblance of authority that an open quarrel with
Butch might shatter. Butch was a bully, but Plimsoll respected his
shooting. And Hahn sided with him. The cook did not count.

Plimsoll carried with him a fine pair of binoculars and, as they rode
leisurely on and reached a vantage-point, he swept the tumbled horizon
for signs of any strange riders. It was the caution of habit as much as
actual fear of a raid. There were no Hereford County horses in his herd
save those he had bred himself and he did not think Wyatt or the others
who had left the outfit would be able to stir up sentiment against him
in Hereford. It would take time to get in touch with Brandon. But they
made it a point to be sure that no casual rider notic