"You'll be treated as prisoners of war; but," added the rustler, "it is hardly right to say that. It's Inman's idea to hold you as hostages for the right treatment of any of our boys that may fall into the hands of the stockmen." "That is quite different. Let me ask, Duke, whether this treatment is guaranteed to all of our folks?" "I wish I could say it was, Dick, but I can't; Inman makes two exceptions--Capt. Asbury and Mont Sterry. That Sterry showed himself so much of a man and was so square toward me when I was caught that I would do anything I could for him. I appealed to Inman to let up on him, but he won't; some of the boys are so mad they will shoot him on sight." "And Capt. Asbury?" Vesey's face became hard. "He ought to be hanged because of the way he acted last night." "But what is proposed to do with him and Sterry?" "Give them a fair trial." Hawkridge shook his head with a meaning smile. "It won't work, Duke; there isn't a man in our company who would consent to anything of the kind. There could be but one issue to such a trial, and it would be nothing less than the betrayal of our leader or a comrade by us." "Inman declares he will burn down the house if you refuse his terms." "Let him try it as soon as he pleases; you can tell him for Capt. Asbury that his terms are rejected." CHAPTER XXVI. THE UNDERGROUND MISSIVE. Dick Hawkridge, standing on the ground, looked up in the bronzed face of Duke Vesey, sitting in the saddle. At every window on the lower floor were faces watching the two men that had thus met under a flag of truce. From the ridge on the right, and the undulating ground to the left, peered the rustlers, intensely interested in the actions of the couple, whose words were spoken in tones too low to reach the ears of any on either side. No actors ever had a more attentive audience than they. When Hawkridge announced to Vesey that his proffer was rejected (for it was useless to report first to Capt. Asbury, as he had been told to do), the horseman said: "Dick, you would have been a cur to accept such terms, though I would do anything to even matters with that Asbury; but I want to get a message to Mont Sterry." "You can trust me to carry it." "It is for him alone; I have it in writing. Well, good-by." He leaned over from the saddle and extended his hand. As Hawkridge took it he felt something in his palm. "I understand," he said; "it shall be delivered." No one watching the couple, as nearly all were doing, suspected this little by-play. They saluted, and Vesey spurred his pony to a gallop, passing up the ridge and joining his friends to report, while Hawkridge was admitted through the door, which was immediately closed and secured behind him. To the captain and the others who crowded around he quickly told what had passed. "Your order was to let you know the terms before giving an answer," he added, addressing the leader, "but you see it wasn't necessary."