Swearing under his breath, Red Steve went roughly to work at the ropes on the prisoner’s hands. “He’s trying to tear my arms off, I reckon,” growled Nate Dunbar. Bang! Steve’s weapon spoke hoarsely from the scout’s hand. A bullet “plunked” into the earth wall over the shelf, fanning close to Steve’s face. “I haven’t counted ‘three,’ yet,” said the scout, “so that’s only a warning. Be a little more careful, Steve.” The red-haired man, by that time, was firmly convinced that his unwelcome visitor had not been talking for effect. In a few moments he had removed the ropes. Dunbar got off the shelf and stamped his feet and thrashed his arms to get his blood back into normal circulation. As he came out farther into the lamplight, Buffalo Bill saw that he was an athletic young fellow, of about twenty-one or two. He wore the high-heeled boots of a cowboy, “chaps” were buckled about his waist, and a blue flannel shirt covered his broad shoulders. His face was frank and pleasing, not to say handsome. “You don’t know much about me, pardner,” he remarked to Buffalo Bill, “but I can show a clean record.” “I’ll gamble on that, amigo,” said the scout. “Just from the looks of you, Dunbar, I’m positive I haven’t made any mistake. How did you happen to fall into Red Steve’s clutches?” “It was a put-up job,” was the answer. “Steve’s working for the cattlemen over on the Brazos, and they were paying him to keep me here until they figured out what to do with me.” “Are you a rancher?” “I’m a cattleman, and I’ve an interest in Dick Perry’s bunch of steers.” “Who’s Dick Perry?” “He’s the man the other cattlemen are trying to freeze out.” A scowl came over Dunbar’s face and his eye flashed ominously. “Why are the cattle barons trying to freeze him out?” asked the scout, conscious of a deep interest in the young cowboy and his fortunes. “It’s all on account of Hattie.” “Hattie?” “Yes, Hattie Perry, Dick’s girl.” “Ah! We’re running into romance, I reckon.” The scowl faded from Dunbar’s face and a flush ran through his bronzed cheeks. “You’ve been a friend of mine, stranger,” said he, “and I don’t mind throwing the proposition wide open for you. Lige Benner has wanted to marry Hattie for some time, and he asked her and got turned down. But that didn’t phase him, and he went to Dick with his proposition and got turned down again. Benner has acted like more kind of a wolf in this business than I know how to tell. When Perry turned on him, and told him where he was to get off, he swore that he’d make Perry so much trouble that Perry would give up Hattie just to be able to live in peace.