After a painful wait, Sam heard voices under the rock, and he braced himself for the expected assault.

The men were evidently consulting, and one was in favor of attacking at once, while the others advised "strategy;" this was the one word that came distinctly to Sam's ears.

At length, Shirley, who was in favor of strategy, stepped back from under the rock and called up:

"Hello! hello! up there!"

"Hello, down there!" was Sam's response.

"Is that you, Sam Willett?"

"It is."

"I want to talk with you."

"Talk away, I am listening."

"Do you know me?"

"No, I don't, and what's more I don't want to," said Sam, with a ring of firmness in his voice that surprised and angered his questioner.

"I am your friend, your cousin," said Shirley.

"You are Frank Shirley?"

"Yes."

"Late of Detroit?"

"Yes, Sam, that's me."

"Well, Frank Shirley, late of Detroit, you may be my cousin, but you are not my friend."

"But why shouldn't I be?"

"Because you are not a gentleman."

"That young feller up there," said Badger, with an oath, "ought to be tarred and feathered and then set on fire and shot at. And if I ever get my hands on him, I'll——"

"Don't," interrupted the landlord, "you'll kick all the fat into the fire. Let Mr. Shirley talk to the boy; he'll get in fine work, if you only keep your mouth shut."

Badger gave vent to his feelings by a series of savage growls, and Shirley, after much coughing to ease his nervousness, proceeded to carry out his strategy.

"See here, Sam Willett!"

"Go on, I hear," was the response.

"I don't mean you any harm."

"And you sha'n't do me any, if I can help it," said Sam.

"If you look away off to the east, you can see lights."

"I know that."

"Do you know where those lights are?"

"I think I do."

"Where?"

"At Hurley's Gulch."

"Your father is there——"

"I am glad to hear it."

"And he is very sick."

"How do you know?"

"Because I saw him in a bad fix to-day."

"See here, Shirley, tell me at once what you want," said Sam, in his spirited way.

"I want to take you to your father; he's been heart-broken, thinking you were dead; so come down, and I pledge you my honor as a gentleman that I will take you to Hurley's Gulch," said Shirley, in accents intended to be reassuring and soothing.

"Your honor as a gentleman?" repeated Sam with a ring of sarcasm.

"Yes, that's what I said."

"And we'll let you three young fellers ride our horses," added the landlord.

"And you will also pledge your honor, as a gentleman, to do that?" said Sam.

"Oh, I'll swear to it," said the landlord.

"Thanks, but the security being false and worthless, I must decline your offer," said Sam, surprised at his own coolness and his ready command of language.

"Then you won't come down?" from Shirley.

"Thanks, not to-night."

"Sam Willett!"

"Yes; Frank Shirley!"

"Are you crazy?"

"No, I'm mad; and you'll find I'm dangerous if you bother me further," said Sam stoutly.

"See har, young feller," shouted Badger. "If you don't want us to save you, do you know what we'll do next?"

"I don't."

"Why, we'll get mad, too——"

"I don't care."

"And," continued Badger, his voice choking with anger, "we'll go up thar and fotch you down; and if so be you git hurt, it'll be yer own fault."

"Hurt?" from Sam.

"Yes, and hurted purty bad, too."

"What's your name?"

"My name's Badger. I'm a terror, I am. I was nussed on blizzards, and rocked by tornadoes. I live on rattlesnakes and horned toads, and when I'm riled its wuss nor a earthquake. Now you are gettin' my dander riz, so come down, for if I have to climb up after you, you'll git hurt."

Badger certainly thought that this fierce speech would have a most depressing effect upon the youth in command of the rock, great therefore was his anger and disappointment when he received this reply.

"Before I am hurt some one else will be in the same fix, for I and my companions propose to defend ourselves."

"But why defend yourselves," said Shirley, "when we mean you nothing but good."

"I do not care to give my reasons; but I'll tell you what I've been thinking ever since I started to reach Hurley's Gulch."

"What's that?"

"That you and the one-eyed ruffian who travels with you are the cause of all my father's troubles——"

"That's a lie!" roared Badger.

Sam continued as if he had not heard the interruption.

"And I believe it was you two who killed that wretch, Tom Edwards, in order to get us into a scrape—yes, to get us out of the way. Now get back, or come on, just as you please."

Sam said this in a way that convinced the man below that his resolution could not be shaken, and that any attempt to oust him from his stronghold by force would be met with resistance to the death.

"That young devil up thar's a chip of the old block," hissed Badger. "Why, cuss him, he talks jist like his father. Do you know what my opinion of them two is, Mr. Shirley?"

"What?"

"That they're the hardest, toughest cases I've met up with in my five-and-forty years of mixin' among all classes. Sich people hadn't ought to be let live among decent folks."

"I've seed boys in my time, hundreds and thousands of 'em," said the disgusted landlord, "but that young feller up on top of that rock, for downright gall and bitterness, and bull-headedness, lays over anything I ever saw, heard or red of."

"It is evident to me that Sam Willett will fight; now what are we to do?" asked Shirley in despair, for all prospect of succeeding by "strategy" was gone.

"We must carry out my plan," said Badger.

"What's that?"

"We've got to go back to first principles, jist as I supposed we would when you got talkin' 'bout mildness and strategy——"

"Explain yourself, Badger."

"You and me must face the music, Mr. Shirley."

"Face the music?" stammered Shirley.

"Yes, thar's nothin' else to be did."

"Explain yourself, Badger."

"You and me must creep up the rock on the other side, while Jake and Ned stand off to the east and keep up a fire on the top, so as to distract attention from the p'int we're after. Do you see?"

Shirley said he saw very clearly; but from his manner it was very evident he did not look with approval on this plan of assault.

Physically and morally Frank Shirley was a coward, and though he tried to hide this fact from others, he could not hide it from himself.

But even cowards will fight desperately for their lives, and all Shirley's future, if not his very existence, depended on the success of this monstrous undertaking.

If he failed, then he was an impoverished outcast with the stain of murder on his soul, though all the chances were that if Sam Willett was permitted to reach Hurley's Gulch, the vigilantes would arrest himself and Badger for the death of Tom Edwards.

Quickly he looked over the situation, and his cowardly heart took on a show of courage; it was the courage of desperation, as he realized how much depended on his conduct this night.

"I can't say that I'm much of a fighter, having had no experience that way," said Shirley with a tremor in his voice. "But, Badger, if you lead the way, I'll follow to the end. We must finish this job to-night."

"If we don't it'll finish us," said Badger grimly.