“Nothing is any stronger than its weakest point.” It was the Virginian who said this, and it was the first word he had spoken. “Naturally,” said Steve. His tone in addressing the Virginian was so different, so curt, that I supposed he took the weakest point to mean himself. But the others now showed me that I was wrong in this explanation. “That’s so,” one said. “Its weakest point is where a rope or a gang of men is going to break when the strain comes. And you was linked with a poor partner, Steve.” “You’re right I was,” said the prisoner, back in his easy, casual voice. “You ought to have got yourself separated from him, Steve.” There was a pause. “Yes,” said the prisoner, moodily. “I’m sitting here because one of us blundered.” He cursed the blunderer. “Lighting his fool fire queered the whole deal,” he added. As he again heavily cursed the blunderer, the others murmured to each other various I told you so’s. “You’d never have built that fire, Steve,” said one. “I said that when we spied the smoke,” said another. “I said, ‘That’s none of Steve’s work, lighting fires and revealing to us their whereabouts.’” It struck me that they were plying Steve with compliments. “Pretty hard to have the fool get away and you get caught,” a third suggested. At this they seemed to wait. I felt something curious in all this last talk. “Oh, did he get away?” said the prisoner, then. Again they waited; and a new voice spoke huskily:-- “I built that fire, boys.” It was the prisoner in the gray flannel shirt. “Too late, Ed,” they told him kindly. “You ain’t a good liar.” “What makes you laugh, Steve?” said some one. “Oh, the things I notice.” “Meaning Ed was pretty slow in backing up your play? The joke is really on you, Steve. You’d ought never to have cursed the fire-builder if you wanted us to believe he was present. But we’d not have done much to Shorty, even if we had caught him. All he wants is to be scared good and hard, and he’ll go back into virtuousness, which is his nature when not travelling with Trampas.” Steve’s voice sounded hard now. “You have caught Ed and me. That should satisfy you for one gather.” “Well, we think different, Steve. Trampas escaping leaves this thing unfinished.” “So Trampas escaped too, did he?” said the prisoner. “Yes, Steve, Trampas escaped--this time; and Shorty with him--this time. We know it most as well as if we’d seen them go. And we’re glad Shorty is loose, for he’ll build another fire or do some other foolishness next time, and that’s the time we’ll get Trampas.”