For a minute which seemed like an hour Scott stared at Roberts with every nerve on edge and every muscle tense. He had not the least idea what would happen when they were recognized, but he felt pretty sure that something would happen and he was prepared for any emergency. Murphy also was watching him keenly. He had not liked Scott’s caution in hiding up there at the camp or his failure to attack these two men when they first met them up on the railroad. He had recognized that they were virtually prisoners when these men had started to lead them back to their camp and he had wanted to fight then, but he had not wanted to cross Scott’s plans. Now he had decided that he would wait no longer. If he saw a good opportunity he was going to try to fight his way out. He did not expect to get very much help in that line from Scott. He recognized his ability in many things, but he did not consider that fighting was one of his accomplishments.

In a moment Roberts’ eyes had become accustomed to the light and the next instant he recognized Scott. His lip curled in a malicious sneer and his hand stole up toward the holster on his belt. He glanced from Scott to Murphy.

“So the kid was right,” he snarled. “He said there were a couple of sneaks in the canal this afternoon and we all thought that he was dreaming.”

“Seems to me you are quite a ways from home yourself, Mr. Roberts,” Scott remarked quietly. He saw they were in for it now and he thought that he might as well anger Roberts to see what he would say. He also watched him keenly to see what he would do. He remembered the frog he had seen this man shoot at the turpentine camp and he did not want to give him too good an opportunity to display his skill now.

Roberts glared at him with a fierce hatred which he did not try to disguise. “Not so far away from home as you will go when you leave here,” he hissed.

“You don’t seem to be as glad to see visitors here as you do at the turpentine camp,” Scott mocked. “It must have spoiled your temper to have to work so hard reloading that stolen lumber.”

Murphy saw the blood surge through the swollen veins of Roberts’ neck and saw his hand spring convulsively toward his automatic. He saw the time for action had come and gathered himself for a spring.

But Scott was ahead of him. He had long ago prepared himself for just such a situation. He shot from the ground as though he had been sitting on a spring. Just as Roberts had drawn his revolver from its holster Scott struck him a tremendous blow on the point of the chin and knocked him sprawling. He had struck blows like that before and knew that there was no need to waste any more time on Roberts who would not be in a condition to do any damage for some time to come, so he turned his attention to the man beside him who had been doing all the talking before Roberts came.

The attack on Roberts had been so sudden and unexpected that it had somewhat dazed the rest of the party. Murphy had been so astonished by Scott’s sudden action that he had lost a valuable instant and in that instant the man beside him had hurled himself upon him bearing him to the ground.

“Go for ’em, Murphy,” Scott shouted, as he turned to the second man who was scrambling to his feet with his rifle in his hand. But the man never had a chance to use the rifle. Just as he straightened up Scott caught him with an upper cut that sent him spinning. His rifle fell at his feet. Scott saw the other two men of the crew rushing upon him. He waited till the last instant as though he was watching the man on the ground and then side-stepped the first of the two with the agility of a cat, tripped him as he went past and met the second one with a terrific blow between the eyes, and followed it with a right swing which felled him like an ox. The man Scott had tripped had picked himself up now and was returning to the fight with renewed fury.

There was no time to lose. Scott dropped suddenly on the rifle at his feet and let the man trip over him again. Then grasping the rifle by the end of the barrel he ran to Murphy’s assistance. He saw the gleam of a knife in the firelight and it almost sickened him. He swung wildly with the butt of the rifle and struck the man’s wrist, sending the knife flying. The rifle swung on through a second circle and came down on the man’s neck with a sickening thud.

Murphy was unhurt and furious. He sprang to his feet and tore at the only remaining one of the crew who was rushing at Scott once more, armed with a stick of firewood. Maddened by the knowledge that he had been blocked out of the fight by a man half his size and largely by his own fault because he had allowed that man to get the jump on him, Murphy paid no more attention to the club which the man had than if it had been a straw. He brushed it aside and literally bore the man to the earth under the fury of his onslaught. He was proceeding to pound him in true Irish fashion when Scott interfered.

“Let him go, Murphy!” he shouted. “Grab Roberts’ revolver and come ahead. We’ve got to get out of here, there is no telling how soon those fellows may come from the mill with that lumber.” He snatched up the other rifle and started down the beach.

A little time before Murphy might have accused Scott of cowardice for running away from the fighting field in this way, but he had no such notion now. He obediently left the man whom he had been pounding with such satisfaction, caught up the automatic from the ground beside Roberts and joined Scott. Except when Scott had spoken and a single roar of rage from Murphy when the man had unexpectedly thrown himself upon him, they had fought in utter silence.

Loaded down with their captured arms, they hurried along the beach toward the east. Looking back they could see some crumpled figures beginning to move painfully about the fire. They had not gone very far when they came to the railroad track and they had not much more than crossed it when they heard the creak of the cars of lumber. They had gotten away just in time. If they had waited five minutes more, four men would have been added to their opponents and the odds would have been hopeless.

“Shall we stick around a while and see what happens?” Scott whispered, “or do you think we better get a little farther away while the getting is good?”

“Don’t see what more we can learn here,” Murphy replied, “unless we sneak back there and shoot the whole bunch. We have guns enough here now to do it.”

“Nothing to be gained by that now. But I would like to hear what those fellows have got to say and what their plans are. It will be............