To his faint surprise Russ held up his hand. ``Not me,'' he ruled decidedly. I've had enough. It was you that tracked it down anyway, Stevens ``, he pursued strictly. '' I'll shove along home ``.

``Whatever you say.'' Pat swung into the saddle, yet still he delayed, his brows puckered. ``You owe it to Penny to give her a chance to explain that she was defending you, really,'' he observed mildly.

``Old Crip wasn't,'' retorted Cobb tartly. ``He'll know when you tell him. But I want this to sink in awhile. Then maybe next time he wonn't be so quick on the trigger.''

``Pat had never pretended to give advice in such affairs. '' You're the doctor ``, he returned with a smile. '' But I still think Penny's an awful nice girl, Russ ``--

``You don't have to tell me,'' flashed Cobb. Giving the other a dark look, he hauled his bronc around and trotted down off the street. Pat let him go, following more leisurely. At the first restaurant he sensibly pulled up to go in for his dinner, and as a consequence did not see Cobb strike the open range at the mouth of the canyon and head straight across the swells for Antler.

The truth was, the puncher was both bewildered and dismayed by his own mixed luck. ``Penny's always glad to see me over there,'' he mused bleakly. Yet had he not visited the girl at Saw Buck he would never have been involved in this latest tangle.

Over and above that, however, was his growing suspicion of Chuck Stober's part in recent events. ``Gyp Carmer couldn't have known about Colcord's money unless he was told -- and who else would have told him?'' he asked himself. ``It's the second time War Ax hands made a play for that money.