None understood better than he that the individual who held that Winchester levelled would press the trigger on the first provocation.  He was the one that had sent the warning, and the other was the one that had received it.  The twenty-four hours’ truce had been ended by the words and action of Cadmus himself, and his chief wonder, now that Fred Whitney was with him, was that Monteith Sterry should show any mercy to his persecutor; had the situations been reversed, the course also would have been different.

But the ruffian was on the alert.  He noticed the guarded movement of Spark Holly at the moment Whitney entered his home, and he needed no one to tell him what it meant.

He had slipped off to bring help and it would not take him long to do it, though Cadmus might well feel uneasy over what would take place when Sterry should learn the trick played on him.

It may be that a person’s senses are keener in situations of grave peril than at other times, for, calculating as clearly as he could the period it would take his comrade to reach the horsemen, only a short way back on the prairie, Cadmus heard sounds which indicated their approach, though they must remain invisible for several minutes.

“Wal,” said he, in his off-hand manner, directly after Whitney had whisked into the house, “now that you’re together, how long do you mean to keep this thing up?”

“We’re through,” was the response.

“What do you mean?” asked the surprised fellow.

“You can go away as soon as you please.  Mont Sterry doesn’t care anything more about you, but I’ll keep you covered as long as you are in sight, and if you or any of your men try any deception you’ll take the consequences.”

With a moment’s hesitation, doubtless caused by distrust of his master, Cadmus began edging to one side.  A few steps were enough to take him out of range of that dreaded weapon, and then his demeanour changed.

“That was a good trick of yours, Mont Sterry, but it won’t do you a bit of good.”

“Why not?”

“Here come the rest of the boys, and if you think you can hold them up, why try it.”

At that moment the horsemen assumed form in the gloom and approached the house in a diagonal direction.  Encouraged by their presence, Larch Cadmus once more moved toward the open door and resumed the position of leader.

“Now, my fine fellow, we summon you to surrender,” he called in his brusquest voice and manner.

The reply was striking.  A young man stepped from the door and advanced to meet the horsemen.  There was an instant when Cadmus believed his victim had come forth to give himself up as commanded, but one glance showed that it was Fred Whitney.  He calmly awaited the coming of the mounted men, saluted them, and said: 

“You have come for Mont Sterry, and Cadmus there assures me that if I give him my word that he is not in my house he will accept the statement; do you agree to it?”