re you
and Hank and that friend of his going to make another attempt to get
Jerkline Jo? And how are you going about it?"

"Hank's still camping up in the mountains and spying on the outfit when
it travels through the pass," Al informed her. "He's watching their
habits, and taking note of just how they travel along, trying to dope
out something new. He'll get a scheme before spring, I'm thinking.
There's a bad hombre, kid. It would give me the creeps to know he was
trailing me through those lonesome woods. Man! I wouldn't turn my
back to that plug with fifteen cents in my jeans!"

"Can't we get some more of Hank's pals and simply ambush Jo's whole
outfit? Collar all of them, and then get after Jo. Surely a bunch of
men could take them all by surprise and put the fixin's to 'em."

Drummond snorted. "We've got to split the haul four ways as it is," he
pointed out. "And that bo that helped us get Filer away--Stool--he
smells a rat and is keeping an eye single to horning in on the
clean-up. Lucy, I wouldn't attack Jo's bunch of roughnecks with less
than a dozen men; and you can bet your young life our gang is too big
as it is. Keep the home fires burning, I'll say!"

"Well, for Heaven's sake, try and get busy soon!" Lucy cried
petulantly. "Goodness knows I did my part--all that any woman could be
expected to do. So far I'm the only one that's accomplished anything.
Why in thunder didn't Hank's friend, Pete, 'tend to the business up
there in the mountains, after you and Hank had beat it? Hooker was
out, this fellow said, and the girl still tied. And then he comes out
of his dope and gets on a horse, and beats it like you other two
quitters!"

"He didn't have the paper," explained Al. "Besides, Pete thought he
was going to croak. He was laid up longer than Hooker, even, and
Hooker had got a bullet. Pete's skull was cracked, and for a time it
was a toss-up whether he'd pull through or not. He went nutty up
there, I guess. He was lying sidewise across the saddle, unconscious
but holding on for dear life, when the horse caught up with us. And
Hank and I ducked out because--well, it's hard to explain. Both of us
were pretty badly beaten up, you know, and there wasn't much fight left
in us. Hooker had surprised us, and we were rattled. I don't know--a
fellow can't explain just why he does the wrong thing in a situation
like that. But knock the fight out of a man and make him groggy, and
he'll bungle