Sanderson took his rifle by the barrel and with the stock forced a channel through some rotted rock on the top of the little ridge that afforded him concealment.  When he had dug the channel deeply enough—­so that he could aim the weapon without exposing his head—­he stuck the rifle barrel into the channel and shouted to the Dale men: 

“This game is played out, boys!  I’m behind you.  You can’t hide any longer.  I give you fair warning that if you don’t come out within a minute, throwin’ your guns away an’ holdin’ up your hands, I’ll pick you off, one by one!  That goes!”

There was sincerity in Sanderson’s voice, but the men doubted.  Sanderson saw them look around, but it was plain to him that they could not tell from which direction his voice came.

“Bluffin’!” scoffed a man who was in plain view of Sanderson; the very man, indeed, upon whom Sanderson had his rifle trained.

“Bluffin’, eh?” replied Sanderson grimly.  “I’ve got a bead on you.  At the end of one minute—­if you don’t toss your guns away and step out, holdin’ up your hands, I’ll bore you—­plenty!”

Half a minute passed and the man did not move.  He was crouching, and his gaze swept the edge of the fissure from which Sanderson’s voice seemed to come.  His face was white, his eyes wide with the fear of death.

Just when it seemed that Sanderson must shoot to make his statement and threat convincing, the man shouted: 

“This game’s too certain—­for me, I’m through!”

He threw his weapons away, so that they went bounding and clattering to the foot of the slope.  Then he again faced the fissure, shouting: 

“I know I’ve caved, an’ you know I’ve caved.  But what about them guys on the other side, there?  They’ll be blowin’ me apart if I go to showin’ myself.”

Sanderson called to Williams and the others, telling them the men were going to surrender, and warning them to look out for treachery.

“If one of them tries any monkey-shines, nail him!” he ordered.  “There’s eleven of them that ain’t been touched—­an’ some more that ain’t as active as they might be.  But they can bend a gun handy enough.  Don’t take any chances!”

Sanderson ordered the man to step out.  He did so, gingerly, as though he expected to be shot.  When he was in plain view of Sanderson’s men, Sanderson ordered him to descend the slope and stand beside a huge rock ledge.  He watched while the man descended; then he called to the others: 

“Step up an’ take your medicine!  One at a time!  Guns first.  Williams!” he called.  “You get their guns as fast as they come down.  I’ll see that none of them plug you while you’re doin’ it!”

There was no hitch in the surrender; and no attempt to shoot Williams.  One by one the men dropped their weapons down the slope.

When all the men had reached the bottom of the defile Sanderson climbed down and asked the first man who had surrendered where they had left their horses.  The animals were brought, and the men forced to mount them.  Then, the Dale men riding ahead, Sanderson and the others behind, they began the return trip.