quivering man, and Brick Willock had carried out the girl. Then he
looked back into the room. "You fellows can stay in here," he said
authoritatively. "What we've got to do ain't any easier with a lot
of men standing about, looking on."

The man who had relighted the candle, and who crouched to shield it
with a hairy hand from the gust, nodded approval. His friends were
already gathering together the cards to lose in the excitement of
gambling consciousness of what was about to be done. Red closed
the door on the scene, and turned to face the light.

The wind came in furious gusts, with brief intervals of calm. There
were no clouds, however, and the moon, which had risen not long
before, made the prairie almost as light as if morning had dawned.
As far as the eye could reach in any direction, nothing was to be
seen but the level ground, the unflecked sky, the cabin and the
little group near the tethered ponies.

Gledware had already been stationed with his face toward the moon,
and Kansas Kimball was calmly examining his pistol. Between them
and the horses, Brick Willock had come to a halt, the little girl
still sleeping in his powerful arms. Red's eagle eye noted that
she had unconsciously slipped an arm about the highwayman's neck,
as if by some instinct she would cling the closer to the only one
in the band of ten who had spoken for her life.

Red scowled heavily. He had not forgiven Willock for beating him
at cards, still less for his persistent opposition to his wishes;
and he now resolved that it should be Willock's hand to deal the
fatal blow. He had been troubled before tonight by insubordination