in, and surround the old man's shack, shouting
and yelling and raising Cain. He'll come out of his hole to order us
off, and I'll rope him before he knows where he's at; then we'll toy
with him for a few minutes--long enough to learn him a lesson in
politeness--and let him go."

No one in the gang seemed to see anything specially humorous in this
method of inculcating urbanity of manner, and at last five of them
agreed to stand their share of the riot, although Henry Ring muttered
something about the man's being old and not looking very strong.

"He's strong enough to wave a two-foot gun," retorted Roy, and so
silenced all objection.

One night as soon as the camp was quiet Pierce rose and, touching his
marauders into activity, saddled and rode away as stealthily as the
leader of a band of Indian scouts. He made straightway over the divide
to the east, then turned, and, crossing the river, entered the town from
the south, in order to deceive any chance observer.

Just below the station, in a little gully, he halted his war-party and
issued final orders. "Now I'll ride ahead and locate myself right near
the back door; then when I strike a light you fellows come in and swirl
round the shack like a gust o' hell. The old devil will come out the
back door to see what's doin', and I'll jerk him end-wise before he can
touch trigger. I won't hurt him any more than he needs. Now don't stir
till I'm in position."

Silently, swiftly, his pony shuffled along the sandy road and over the
railway-crossing. The town was soundless and unlighted, save for a dim
glow in the telegraph office, and the air was keen and crisp with
frost. As he approached the Badger's shack Pierce detected a gleam of
light beneath the curtain of the side windows. "If he's awake, so much
the better," he thought, but his nerves thrilled as he softly entered
the shadow.

Suddenly the pony trod upon something which made a prodigious crash. The
door opened, a tall young girl appeared in a wide flare of yellow light
which ran out upon the grass like a golden carpet. With eager, anxious
voice she called out:

"Is that you, Doctor?"

The raider stiffened in his saddle with surprise. His first impulse was
to set spurs to his horse and vanish. His next was to tear off his
disguise and wait, for the voice was sweeter than any he had ever heard,
and the girl's form a vision of beauty.

Alarmed at his silence, she again called out: "Who are you? What do you
wa