Rathburn swung on his heel and stepped squarely in front of him. "I let you think that to show you what _might_ have happened," he said. "Such things have happened to me an' swelled the price on my head. Now, darn you, if you talk that loud again I'll choke your wind off!" The words came with sinister earnestness, but they seemed to rouse some dormant strain of extraordinary courage in the man to whom they were addressed. He suddenly leaped from the tree and struck out with all the force at his command. But Rathburn had anticipated the attack. He knocked the other's blow aside and drove his right straight to the jaw. "There's a little souvenir to show you that I mean business, Percy," he panted. Percy came back to the attack with eyes gleaming with malice. Again he attempted to hit Rathburn, but the latter stepped aside with lightning swiftness and drove home another blow. He followed it up with a left and right and Percy sprawled his length on the grass. After a time he sat up, dazed. Rathburn was standing over him. But although he realized fully that he was not a match for Rathburn in physical combat, and doubtless was greatly his inferior with his gun, his spirit was undaunted. "You better finish me, or drag me in," he gritted; "for I'll get you, if I can. I don't know what your play is, but you've acted too queer to-day for me to believe you're on the square one way or the other." "You want some more, Percy?" "My name is Lamy," growlingly replied the other, as he rose cautiously. "Oh, o-h. Percy Lamy." "No, just Lamy. Lamy's my name, an' I ain't ashamed of it. You'd find it out--sooner or later--anyway, I--expect." He stammered during this speech as if he had just remembered something--remembered when it was too late. Rathburn noted the frown and the confused expression in Lamy's eyes. He turned abruptly and walked away. A few minutes later he came back to find Lamy sitting with his back to a tree, staring unseeing into the deepening twilight. "Lamy," he said harshly, "we're going to get away from this posse--maybe. Anyway, soon's it's dark we'll ride south. It's just possible we can leave 'em up here in the hills." "Suppose I refuse to go?" "Then I'll have to truss you up an' tie you to your horse, an' don't think I won't do it!" The ring of menace in Rathburn's voice convinced the other, but he made no comment. When darkness had fallen they saddled their mounts and started. They rode at a jog, keeping as much as possible in the shadow of the timber. Rathburn noticed that the valley gradually widened; he showed interest in his surroundings. Then, off to the left below them, he saw moving shadows. He called a halt at the next clump of trees. "Lamy, are there any horses running in here that you know of?" he asked. "There probably are," said Lamy sarcastically; "an' they've probably got riders on 'em." "No doubt," returned Rathburn gravely. "I just saw some shadows that looked like horses down to the left of us."