"Not a step in any direction," said Sterry, warningly; "if you attempt to retreat, advance, or move aside, I'll fire." It would be a rash thing for any one to deny that the young inspector had secured the "drop" on Larch Cadmus. But the man was accustomed to violence, and it took him but a minute to rally. "Pretty well done, I'll own," he said, with a forced laugh; "but what good is it going to do you? There are three more of us here and a half-dozen hardly a hundred yards away." "And what good will they do you?" "Spark," said Cadmus, "slip back to the boys and give 'em the tip; we'll see about this thing." "The moment Spark or either of the other two stirs I'll let the moonlight through _you!_ I'm going to keep my gun pointed right at you, Mr. Cadmus. If those fellows think I'm worth more than you, they have a chance to prove it, for only one of them has to take the first step to leave, when I'll press this trigger just a little harder than now. More than that, if one of them shouts, whistles, or makes any kind of a signal, I'll do as I threaten. If any man doesn't think so, let him make the trial." "Well, I'll be hanged!" muttered Larch Cadmus; "this _is_ a go!" Judging from the new turn of affairs, it looked as if a single individual had the "drop" on four others. It struck Larch Cadmus that this was a good occasion for something in the nature of a compromise. "See here, Sterry," he said, assuming an affected jocularity which deceived no one, "I'll own you've played it on me mighty fine. But you can't stand there all night with your Winchester p'inted at me, and bime-by I'll git tired; can't we fix the matter up some way?" "Fred," said Sterry, with the same coolness shown from the first, "slip through the door; you know where your gun is; stoop a little, so I won't have to shift my aim; when that is done we'll talk about compromise." Fred Whitney, as quick as his companion to "catch on," did instantly what was requested. He dodged into the darkened apartment, with which, of course, he was so familiar that he needed the help of no light to find his weapon. Had Larch Cadmus been as subtle as his master, perhaps he might have prevented this by ordering one of his men to cover Whitney with his gun, though it is more than probable that Sterry still would have forced the leading rustler to his own terms. But there was one among the four with the cunning of a fox; he was Spark Holly, who had located the inspector when in front of the house. At the moment Cadmus was brought up all standing, as may be said, Holly stood so far to one side that he was not in the young man's field of vision. He, like his two companions, could have slipped off at any moment without danger to himself, but it would have been at the cost of their leader's life; nor could they shift their position and raise a weapon to fire into the room, where there was a prospect of hitting the daring youth at bay, without precipitating that catastrophe.