gling, and Skinny had his hands full in holding him.

"Hopalong! Cassidy! Come out of that! Keep quiet--yu'll shore git plugged
if yu don't stop that plungin'. For gosh sake, did yu hear that?" A
bullet viciously hissed between them and flattened out on a near-by
rock; others cut their way through the chaparral to the sound of falling
twigs, and Skinny threw himself on the struggling man and strapped
Hopalong with his belt to the base of a honey mesquite that grew at his
side.

"Hold still, now, and let that bandage alone. Yu allus goes off di'
range when yu gets plugged," he complained. He cut down a cactus and
poured the sap over the wounded man's face, causing him to gurgle and
look around. His eyes had a sane look now and Skinny slid off his chest.

"Git that--belt loose; I ain't--no cow," brokenly blazed out the picketed
Hopalong. Skinny did so, handed the irate man his Colts and returned to
his own post, from where he fired twice, reporting the shots.

"I'm tryin' to get him on th' glance' first one went high an' th' other
fell flat," he explained.

Hopalong listened eagerly, for this was shooting that he could
appreciate. "Lemme see," he commanded. Skinny dragged him over to a
crack and settled down for another try.

"Where is he, Skinny?" Asked Hopalong.

"Behind that second big one. No, over on this here side. See that smooth
granite? If I can get her there on th' right spot he'll shore know it."
He aimed carefully and fired.

Through Pete's glasses Hopalong saw a leaden splotch appear on the rock
and he notified the marksman that he was shooting high. "Put her on that
bump closer down," he suggested. Skinny did so and another yell reached
their ears.

"That's a dandy. Yore shore all right, yu old cuss," complimented
Hopalong, elated at the success of the experiment.

Skinny fired again and a brown arm flopped out into sight. Another shot
struck it and it jerked as though it were lifeless.

"He's cashed. See how she jumped? Like a rope," remarked Skinny with a
grin. The arm lay quiet.

Pete had gained his last cover and was all eyes and Colts. Lanky was
also very close in and was intently watching one particular rock.
Several shots echoed from the far side of the knoll and they knew that
Red was all right. Billy was covering a cluster of rocks that protruded
above the others and, as they looked, his rifle rang out and the last
defender leaped down and disappeared in the chaparral. He wore yellow