agree to stand pat with the cards Jesse's dealt," replied Handy
Oliver.

Then Kells turned with a bright gleam upon his face. "And you--
Pearce?"

"I'd say yes in a minute if I'd not have to take a hand in thet
job," replied Pearce, with a hard laugh. "Gulden won't be so easy to
kill. He'll pack a gunful of lead. I'll gamble if the gang of us
cornered him in this cabin he'd do for most of us before we killed
him."

"Gul sleep alone, no one knows where," said Handy Oliver. "An' he
can't be surprised. Red's correct. How're we goin' to kill him?"

"If you gents will listen you'll find out," rejoined Jesse Smith.
"Thet's the job for young Cleve. He can do it. Sure Gulden never was
afraid of any man. But somethin' about Cleve bluffed him. I don't
know what. Send Cleve out after Gulden. He'll call him face to face,
anywhere, an' beat him to a gun! ... Take my word for it."

"Jesse, that's the grandest idea you ever had," said Kells, softly.
His eyes shone. The old power came back to his face. "I split on
Gulden. With him once out of the way--!"

"Boss, are you goin' to make thet Jim Cleve's second job?" inquired
Pearce, curiously.

"I am," replied Kells, with his jaw corded and stiff. "If he pulls
thet off you'll never hear a yap from me so long as I live. An' I'll