"You're damn right I did! An' I'll shoot at the low-lived pup that tried to hide behind it too. My God, Purdy! No head--no guts! The only things about you that's a man is your pants, an' shirt, an' hat--an' I spoilt the hat!" "Listen, Tex, listen!" the man's voice was frantic with appeal. "Let's make medicine. You c'n have the pilgrim's woman--I don't want her--I only wanted the reward. I was only kiddin' about bumpin' you off! Honest I was! Listen! Let me go, Tex! Let me git away! Cass has got me framed-up! I aimed to quit him an' turn straight! Listen--they's a girl, Tex. Over on Red Sand--I give her my word I'd quit the horse game an' start an outfit. Listen--I----" "Who is she?" the voice of the Texan cut in like chilled steel. "McWhorter's girl----" "You're a damned liar!" "D'you know her?" the words came haltingly. "Some," answered the Texan, drily, "she an' I are goin' to be married tomorrow." The words had been uttered with the deliberate intent of taunting Purdy, but even the Texan was not prepared for the manifestation of insane rage that followed. "You lie! Damn you! Damn you! You've always beat me! Yer beatin' me now! You son of a--, take that!" With the words he leaped from behind his rock and emptied his gun, the bullets thudding harmlessly against the Texan's barrier, and instantly he was behind his rock again. Cass Grimshaw grinned at the others. "He's baitin' him--prob'ly be'n baitin' him fer an hour till Purdy's gone plumb mad." "De Injun she would stake um out an' build de leetle fire on hees belly. But A'm t'ink dat hurt worse lak Tex do it." Endicott gazed in white-lipped fascination upon the scene. "Let's make him surrender and turn him over to the authorities," he whispered. Grimshaw shook his head: "No--not him. If you knew him like I do, you wouldn't say that. By God, I turned one man over to the authorities--an' they give him a year! An' when he got out I give him what he had comin'. Think, man what he'd of done to your wife----" The sentence was cut short by the sound of galloping hoofs. All four craned their necks for sight of the rider. Grimshaw and Bill Harlow drew their guns, expecting to see the fourth man of Purdy's gang come rushing to the aid of his leader. But not until the rider was within a hundred feet of the two combatants did they catch sight of her. At the same instant they saw the Texan, hat in hand, frantically wave her back. Janet McWhorter saw him, too, and pulled the bay mare to her haunches at the same instant a shot rang out and Purdy's bullet ripped the Texan's hat from his hand. Almost before her horse came to a stop, the girl's gun was in her hand and she sat--tense--expectant.