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"Reckon we'll do soruffly

At the juncture Moze returned

"Boss, I heerd a hoss comin' up the trail," he said

Snake rose and stood at the door, listening Outside the windraindrops pattered upon the cabin

"A-huh!" exclaimed Snake, in relief

Silence ensued then for a moment, at the end of which interval Dale heard a rapid clip-clop on the rocky trail outside The men below shuffled uneasily, but none of them spoke The fire cracked cheerily Snake Anson stepped back from before the door with an action that expressed both doubt and caution

The trotting horse had halted out there somewhere

"Ho there, inside!" called a voice from the darkness

"Ho yourself!" replied Anson

"That you, Snake?" quickly followed the query

"Reckon so," returned Anson, showing hi a slicker that shone wet in the firelight His sombrero, pulled well down, shadowed his face, so that the upper half of his featuresmustache, and a chin like a rock A potential force, matured and powerful, seemed to be wrapped in his movements

"Hullo, Snake! Hullo, Wilson!" he said "I've backed out on the other deal Sent for you on--on another little nificant gesture that Snake's men were to leave the cabin

"A-huh! ejaculated Anson, dubiously Then he turned abruptly Moze, you an' Shady an' Burt go wait outside Reckon this ain't the deal I expected An' you can saddle the hosses"

The threekeenly at the stranger, who had ht now, Beasley," said Anson, low-voiced "What's your game? Jim, here, is in onhis hands to the blaze

"Nothin' to do with sheep," replied he

"Wal, I reckoned not," assented the other "An' say--whatever your game is, I ain't likin' the way you keptSpring Then thet greaser rode up an' sent us here We're a long way fro," said Beasley "But even if I did you'd not mind--when I tell you this deal concerns Al Auchincloss--the man who made an outlaw of you!"