er an' owned faster hosses than th' sheriff! How'd we ever git our
saddles slipped 'round so wrong, anyway?"

"I did it," Drew said bitterly. "It's not any of your doin', Anse. Tied
myself up in a string of lies and now they have me tight. So help me,
Anse, if I ever get this unsnarled, I'm never goin' to open my mouth again
to say more'n 'yes' or 'no'!"

The Texan laughed. "You ain't never been one to color up a story redder'n
a Navajo blanket! An' don't take on th' whole pack of this when only 'bout
th' salt bag is of your buyin'. You ain't responsible for Kitchell, nor
Johnny Shannon, nor Bayliss' wantin' to down th' Old Man. Can't see as how
much of this is your doin', after all."

Rennie had set his ambush at the pass with care. At first sight there was
no evidence of men lying in wait, but from the heights over which the
Pimas brought their charges, Drew caught glimpses of men crouched behind
sheltering rocks. The bulk of the Range posse was gathered in a hollow on
the south side of the pass and it was there that Greyfeather delivered his
catch.

_Don_ Cazar surveyed them almost without interest. "Bayliss released you
then," he said to Drew.

"No. Reese Topham and the Trinfans broke me out." Drew kept to his recent
vow of truth-telling. And, he noticed with a spark of something
approaching satisfaction, the truth seemed able to shake Rennie a little.

"Reese Topham broke you out! Why?" The demand was quick and to the point.

"He wanted me to play fox for the army's hounds ... bring the troopers
south ... here," Drew replied. "Bayliss wouldn't march out and Topham
thought that you needed some support--with Kitchell apparently on the
move." Telling the truth did not mean you had to tell all of it. There was
no reason to bring Shannon into this now and antagonize Rennie all over
again.

"He what--?" His father was staring at him now with pure amazement. "But
that doesn't make sense," he added as if to himself.

"No? I think it does, suh. Kitchell wouldn't have dared to raid the Range
if he were goin' to stay in this country, would he? And after such a raid
he'd head south. You believe that much or you wouldn't be here waitin' for
him now. Nobody knows how many men ride with that gang--and maybe he can
pull in the Apaches, too. They wouldn't pass up a good chance to get back
at you. You have the reputation of being about the only white man in this
territory to make them turn tail and give up a fight. Now--sup