“Oh, yes,” snorted Phelps, “whenever you make a misplay it’s my fault! When I gave you that information I couldn’t talk it, so I had to write.” “And I wasn’t able to read it then, and so I had to put it in my watch and read it later. But you could have waited. We’d have had plenty of chance to talk privately before we left Hackamore. That’s where you was lame. You didn’t wait.” “And where was you lame?” taunted Phelps. “Making that bet to throw watches. Why didn’t you think of what was in that watch of yours, hey? You----” “That’s enough,” interrupted the scout. “Save your bickering until Perry and I get away. Benner, what have you done with Hattie Perry?” “I don’t know anything about Hattie Perry,” answered Benner sulkily. “Yes, you do. You’re talking crooked, when you say that; I can see it in your face. Where is the girl? If you know when you’re well off, you’ll tell me, and not make any bones about it.” “Who’re you, anyhow?” flashed Benner. “You may amount to something in your own neck of the woods, but you don’t cut much of a caper here on the Brazos. This is our ground, this is! When Perry sees his daughter next, she’ll be Mrs. Benner.” Fortunately, Perry didn’t hear Benner’s remark. “You’ll have another guess coming about that,” said the scout. “You’re about as contemptible a cur, Lige Benner, as a man could find in a month’s travel. You two men have a chance, here and now, to do the right thing and square yourselves. Tell me where Miss Perry is, and agree to return all the Star-A cattle you’ve rustled and leave Perry and Dunbar alone in future, and we’ll call this account settled. It will be mighty small payment for you scoundrels to make. Hang out against my proposition, and I’ll camp down on the Brazos until I’ve run you men to cover.” “That’s big talk,” taunted Phelps. “The way I’ve handled you this morning is a sample of the way I and my pards do things. If you want any more samples, you’ll find us ready to produce. What have you to say?” “Be hanged to you,” snarled Benner. “You’re a long ways from being out of this yet. You----” “Buffalo Bill!” called Perry from the door. As the scout looked, Perry motioned frantically; and the scout ran to the door, the two cattle barons began to yell for help. “That settles it,” muttered the scout; “it’s neck or nothing with us, Perry. That’s my horse--the black at the end of the hitching-pole. You annex the one hitched alongside. Sharp’s the word!” Together they sprang through the door. Cowboys seemed to be coming from every direction, on foot and on horseback. The four who had been smoking under the tree were the ones who had caused Perry’s alarm. They had started toward the house in a body. Whether they were merely curious, or whether they had heard something which had aroused their suspicions, the scout never knew. Be that as it might, when the scout and Perry leaped through the door, the four men were almost upon them.