“I hope he knows enough to quit when he ’s cornered,” returned the other pleasantly, sweeping his eyes to the opening in the hills, “for I ’m aiming to take him back to Kansas alive.”

“The hell ye are!”

“That ’s the plan, pardner, and I ’ve got reason for it.  I knew Le Fevre once, years ago, during the war, and I ’ve been some anxious to get my hands on him ever since.  He ’s worth far more to me alive than dead, just now, and, Hughes,” his voice hardening, “you ’ll bear that fact in mind when the fracas begins.  From now on this is my affair, not yours.  You understand?  You get busy with the two bucks, and leave the white man to me.  Come on now,—­dismount.”

Hughes came to the ground with evident reluctance, swearing savagely.

“What do yer think I ’m yere for,” he demanded roughly, “if it wa’n’t to shoot that cuss?”

Hamlin strode swiftly over, and dropped a hand on the shaggy shoulder.

“You are here because I ordered you to come with me; because if you hadn’t I would have killed you back there in the shack, you red-handed murderer.  Now listen, Hughes.  I know what you are—­a cattle thief.  You and Le Fevre belong to the same outfit, only he was the smarter of the two.  I have spared your life for a purpose, and if you fail me now I ’ll shoot you down as I would a dog.  Don’t try to threaten me, you cur, for I am not that kind.  I am not trusting you; I have n’t from the first, but you are going into this fight on my side, and under my orders.”

The two men glared into each other’s eyes, silent, breathing hard, but there was a grim determination about the Sergeant’s set jaw that left Hughes speechless.  He grinned weakly, stamping down the snow under foot.  Hamlin’s continued silence brought a protest to his lips.

“Damn if I know why you say that,” he began.  “Haven’t I been square?”

“Because I know your style, Hughes.  You hate Le Fevre for the dirty trick he played on you, but you ’d sell out to him again in five minutes if you thought there was any money in it.  I don’t propose giving you the chance.  You ’ll go ahead, and you are in more danger from me than that outfit yonder.  Now move, and we ’ll take a look up the valley.”

They ploughed a way through the drifts to the mouth of the narrow opening between the hills, dropping to their knees in the snow, and cautiously creeping forward the last few yards.  Hamlin, convinced that fear alone could control the ex-cowthief, kept slightly to the rear.

“Now wait, Hughes,” he said, his voice lowered but still tense with command.  “Be careful, man.  Crawl up there in between those drifts, and look over.  Keep down low, you fool.”

The two men wriggled slowly forward, smothered in the snowdrift, until Hughes’ eyes barely topped the surface.  Hamlin lay outstretched a foot below, watchful for the slightest sign of treachery.  The cowman stared up the depression, blinking his eyes in the snow glare.  The impatient Sergeant gripped his arm.