ult. Sandy shot three times rapidly, and swore at the light.

"You're overshootin'," said McHale. "You can't draw the foresight fine
enough in this light. Hold lower."

"Nothing to hold on," grumbled McCrae. "They're cached close. If one of
them would only come out to fetch in that dead one I wouldn't do a
thing to him."

McHale eyed him speculatively. "Seems like your young soul ain't
swamped by no wave of remorse at killin' a man. Don't make you feel
shaky nor nothin'?"

Young McCrae smiled grimly. "Not that I can notice. All that lead they
slung at us scared remorse clean out of my system. I'm lookin' for a
chance to repeat."

But darkness settled down without that chance, making accurate shooting
impossible. Objects at fifty yards became indistinct. Only the
smoky-red reflection of the sunset remained.

"Think they've got enough?" asked Sandy.

"Why, they ain't got started yet. Lucky we had our supper. We can stand
quite a racket on a full stomach. Might as well smoke, I reckon."

Sandy shivered slightly as the chill of the mountain night air struck
through his thin clothing. "Wish I'd grabbed a blanket or a coat."

"It'll be a heap worse before mornin'," said McHale.

"You're a cheerful devil!"

"Think of how good the sun'll feel. Maybe something will happen to warm
us up before then."

A forty-pound stone suddenly crashed down to one side of them, smashing
in the rocks and bushes with terrific impact. Sandy leaped to his feet,
his revolver streaming continuous fire at the top of the cliff.

"Git down, you durn fool!" cried McHale.

Sandy dropped just in time. A volley came from in front, and a leaden
storm howled overhead.

"Talk about luck!" said McHale. "Don't you take a chance like that
again." He rolled over on his back and put his rifle to his shoulder.
"If I could only git that cuss up there against the sky line----"

But the top of the cliff was fringed with bushes. Another stone bounded
down, struck a projection, leaped out, and hit ten feet in front of
them. McHale fired by guess; but, like most guesswork shooting, without
result. Another stone struck in front. He moved in closer to the cliff
and chuckled grimly.

"We're right under a ledge. Them rocks all bounced off it. Mighty lucky
for us. You feelin' any warmer now?"

"You bet. Summer done come again. I wish I could see to shoot." He
fired at the flash of a gun, and winced suddenly.

"Burned me that time!"

A glancing bullet