"I'm going to hold you responsible for bringing her here." Fendrick could not face steadily the eyes of his foe. They bored into him like gimlets. "And responsible for getting her back home just as soon as I say the word," Luck added, the taut muscles standing out in his clenched jaw. "I expect your say-so won't be final in this matter, Luck. But I'll take the responsibility. Miss Cullison will get home at the proper time." "I'm not going home till you do," the girl broke in. "Oh, Dad, we've been so worried. You can't think." "You've played a rotten trick on me, Fendrick. I wouldn't have thought it even of a sheepman." "No use you getting crazy with the heat, Cullison. Your daughter asked me to bring her here, and I brought her. Of course I'm not going to break my neck getting her home where she can 'phone Bolt or Bucky O'Connor and have us rounded up. That ain't reasonable to expect. But I aim to do what's right. We'll all have supper together like sensible folks. Then José and I will give you the cabin for the night if you'll promise not to attempt to escape. In the morning maybe you'll see things different." Fendrick calculated not without reason that the best thing to do would be to give Kate a chance for a long private talk with her father. Her influence would be more potent than any he could bring to bear. After supper the door of the cabin was locked and a sentry posted. The prisoners were on parole, but Cass did not on that account relax his vigilance. For long he and his partner could hear a low murmur of voices from within the cabin. At length the lights went out and presently the voices died. But all through the night one or the other of the sheepmen patroled a beat that circled around and around the house. Fendrick did not broach the subject at issue next morning till after breakfast. "Well, what have you decided?" he asked at last. "Let's hear about that compromise. What is it you offer?" Luck demanded gruffly. "You sign the relinquishment and agree not to make us any trouble because we brought you here, and you may go by two o'clock." "You want to reach Saguache with the relinquishment in time to file it before I could get to a 'phone. You don't trust me." Fendrick smiled. "When we let you go we're trusting you a heap more than we would most men. But of course you're going to be sore about this and we don't want to put temptation in your way." "I see. Well, I accept your terms. I'll make you no _legal_ trouble. But I tell you straight this thing ain't ended. It's only just begun. I'm going to run you out of this country before I'm through with you." "Go to it. We'll see whether you make good." "Where is that paper you want me to sign?" Luck dashed off his signature and pushed the document from him. He hated the necessity that forced him to surrender. For himself he would have died rather than give way, but he had to think of his daughter and of his boy Sam who was engaged in a plot to hold up a train.