"All right, you know best. I guess Telescope an' me'll pull our freight instanter. We won't wait for my friends. When they come would yuh mind tellin' 'em we've gone to Damson?" "I shall be delighted. Who are your friends?" "Johnny Ramsay o' the Cross-in-a-box an' Chuck Morgan o' the Bar S." "'Chuck Morgan.' Well do I know the gentleman. I fined him twenty-five dollars last fall for riding his horse into Billy West's saloon, roping the stove, and trying to drag it through the doorway." "That's Chuck all over! But he didn't tell the Bar S nothin' about a fine." "The Bar S! What are you talking about? You're from the southern ranges, and I'd advise you not to forget it." "I won't again," Loudon grinned. "So long, Judge, an' we're obliged to yuh for----" "For nothing! For nothing! And don't forget that either. Now good-bye and good luck." Loudon and Laguerre, having paid their bill, left the hotel by the back way. A pale little man, one of the dance-hall fiddlers, was flirting with the cook at the kitchen doorway. When the two men appeared, carrying their saddles and rifles, the pale one glided swiftly around the corner of the house. "See that?" muttered Loudon, cinching up rapidly. Laguerre nodded. "---- 'em!" he whispered. "Hope dey follow! By Gar! I do, me!" "No use tryin' to slide out past the corral now," said Loudon. "We might as well use Main Street." They were glad of their decision. They rode into Main Street just in time to see Archer and a companion turning the corner of the dance hall. The Flying M men headed northward. The other two turned their horses' heads to the south. Where Main Street became the trail, Loudon and Laguerre swung eastward and loped steadily for several miles. When their shadows were long in front of them they climbed the reverse slope of a little hill. Picketing their horses below the crest they lay down behind an outcrop and watched the back trail. Within thirty minutes appeared two dots on a ridge three miles distant. "Just like wolves, ain't they?" chuckled Loudon, and wriggled backward. "We weel bushwhack dem here, huh?" growled Laguerre. "Eet ees de good plass. Dey weel pass on our trail not two hundred yard away. We geet dem easy." "No, not yet, Telescope," said Loudon. "It ain't necessary, anyhow. We'll ride on till it gets dark. Then we'll light a fire an' vamose, an' leave them holdin' the bag." "Dat ees all right," Laguerre said, "but keelin' ees better. W'y not? No one weel know. Un eef dey do, w'at mattair? Dey are de teenhorn. We weel have dat all prove'. I say, keel dem, me." Unconsciously Laguerre fingered the handle of his skinning-knife. Loudon laughed. "C'mon," he said. "There'll be enough o' killin' before this job's over."