McGregor,
Summers, Skookum, and half a dozen others; the whole of that Redmans
gang; half-breeds and dirty whites.

"I shot a hole in one of them, then my gun got struck out of my hand.
I knocked down two with my fists and made a dash for it. I got to the
ladder at the old barn there and ran up, but I forgot about a man who
happened to be at the top. He dropped the trap-door crash on my head,
and that's the last I can mind."

"Good Lord!" cried Phil.

"And the murdering hounds, not content with that, trussed you up and
left you here like a rat in a sewer."

"Ay!--to come back later, maybe, when they had more time, finish me
off and bury me in the bowels o' the earth."

Jim pulled himself together.

"Phil," he cried, "come on! We're wasting time here. I'm going to get
that bunch before I sleep."

Once outside, they reclosed the barn-door, leaving everything exactly
as they had found it. Up the road a little, the faithful Smiler was
standing with the two rifles, two cartridge belts, and the two horses
from Mrs. Clunie's saddled and bridled to perfection.

"Smiler!--go home to bed," said Jim.

Smiler nodded, grinned and ran off.

"Phil, do you know where Jack McLean, the manager of The Pioneer
Traders, lives?"

"Yes!"

"Then tear up there and put him wise. Get hold of Blair, their grocery
man, as well. He's a grand scrapper. Get them to bring their rifles.

"Don't tell a soul but these two what the game is."

"What else?"

"I'm going to rustle up Morrison of the O.K. Supply, then down to the
Town Hall for two or three who are game for a free-for-all. Make
hell-bent-for-leather down to Allison's Wharf at Okanagan Landing. We
can leave our horses there, cross the lake to the other side below
Redmans, and be on the main road there that leads from Vernock to
Redmans a full hour ahead of them; and collar the bunch--men, wagons,
feed and every damned thing, as they come sliddering along thinking
they're safe."

"Jee-rusalem!" cried Phil, as the plan dawned on him.

"But are you sure they are taking the road that way and that Redmans
will be where they are making for?"

"You bet I'm sure! And the long way round the hills and the head of
the lake is the only way they can make Redmans with heavy wagons. Any
bairn knows that they'll reckon to get there just before dawn. The
whole bunch are breeds and klootchmen from there, and they're not
likely to cache their steal any place but where they can get at it
ha