tongue, and spoke at
last.

"I--I--Mr. Cullison, I want to explain. Every man is liable to make a
mistake--go off half cocked. I didn't do right. That's a fac'. I can
explain all that, but I'm sick now--awful sick."

Cullison laughed harshly. "You'll be sicker soon."

"You promised you wouldn't do anything if we turned you loose," the man
plucked up courage to remind him.

"I promised the law wouldn't do anything. You'll understand the
distinction presently."

"Mr. Cullison, please---- I admit I done wrong. I hadn't ought to have
gone in with Cass Fendrick. He wanted me to kill you, but I wouldn't."

With that unwinking gaze the ranchman beat down his lies, while fear
dripped in perspiration from the pallid face of the prisoner.

Bucky had let Cullison take the center of the stage. He had observed a
growing distress mount and ride the victim. Now he stepped in to save the
man with an alternative at which Blackwell might be expected not to snatch
eagerly perhaps, but at least to be driven toward.

"This man is my prisoner, Mr. Cullison. From what I can make out you ought
to strip his hide off and hang it up to dry. But I've got first call on
him. If he comes through with the truth about the W. & S. Express robbery,
I've got to protect him."

Luck understood the ranger. They were both working toward the same end.
The immediate punishment of this criminal was not the important issue. It
was merely a club with which to beat him into submission, and at that a
moral rather than a physical one. But the owner of the Circle C knew
better than to yield to Bucky too easily. He fought the point out with him
at length, and finally yielded reluctantly, in such a way as to aggravate
rather than relieve the anxiety of the convict.

"All right. You take him first," he finally conceded harshly.

Bucky kept up the comedy. "I'll take him, Mr. Cullison. But if he tells me
the truth--and if I find out it's the whole truth--there'll be nothing
doing on your part. He's my prisoner. Understand that."

Metaphorically, Blackwell licked the hand of his protector. He was still
standing, but his attitude gave the effect of crouching.

"I aim to do what's right, Captain O'Connor. Whatever's right. You ask me
any questions."

"I want to know all about the W. & S. robbery, everything, from start to
finish."

"Honest, I wish I could tell you. But I don't know a thing about it. Cross
my heart, I don't."

"No use, Blackwell. If I'm go