ark, but Neil did not cover him. Instead, he spoke quietly
to the other.

"Was it you that killed Phil, Reilly?"

The man whirled and saw Neil for the first time. His answer was instant.
Flinging up his rifle, he pumped a shot at York.

Neil's retort came in a flash. Reilly clutched at his heart and toppled
backward from the precipice upon which he stood. Collins joined the
cowpuncher and together they stepped forward to the point from which
Reilly had plunged down two hundred feet to the jagged rocks below.

At the curve they came face to face with Bucky O'Connor. Three weapons
went up quicker than the beating of an eyelash. More slowly each went
down again.

"What are you doing here, Bucky?" the sheriff asked.

"Just pirootin' around, Val. It occurred to me Leroy might not mean
to play fair with you, so I kinder invited myself to the party. When I
heard shooting I thought it was you they had bushwhacked, so I sat in to
the game."

"You guessed wrong, Bucky. Reilly and the others rounded on Leroy. While
they were at it they figured to make a clean job and bump off York, too.
From what York says Leroy has got his."

The ranger turned a jade eye on the outlaw. "Has Mr. Neil turned honest
man, Val? Taken him into your posse, have you?" he asked, with an edge
of irony in his voice.

The sheriff laid a hand on the shoulder of the man who had been his
friend before he turned miscreant.

"Don't you worry about Neil, Bucky," he advised gently. "It was York
shot Reilly, after York had cut loose at him, and I shouldn't wonder if
that didn't save your life. Neil has got to stand the gaff for what he's
done, but I'll pull wires to get his punishment made light."

"Killed Reilly, did he?" repeated O'Connor. "I got Anderson back there."

"That makes only one left to account for. I wonder who he is?" Collins
turned absent-mindedly to Neil. The latter looked at him out of an
expressionless face. Even though his confederate had proved traitor he
would not betray him.

"I wonder," he said.

Bucky laughed. "Made a mistake that time, Val."

"I plumb forgot the situation for a moment," the sheriff grinned.
"Anyhow, we better be hittin' his trail."

"How about Phil?" Neil suggested.

"That's right. One of us has ce'tainly got to go back and attend to
him."

"You and Neil go back. I'll follow up this gentleman who is escaping,"
the ranger said.

And so it was arranged. The two men returned from their grim work of
ju