"Heap fair," said Red Ben, from the shadows, satisfaction in his voice.
"Why should I agree?" cried Del Norte. "I have the best of you now. A friend of mine has you covered, gringo dog, and he can shoot you down."
"Ben him no do it 'less forced," declared the hidden Indian. "Him make fair offer. Let best man win. You kill him, you have gal. He kill you, he git gal. Heap fair."
Plainly the redskin was delighted with the proposition, and Frank saw this was the only way out of the trap.
"Select the weapons, Del Norte," he said. "I accept Red Ben as the referee. It's plain he believes in fair play."
The Mexican realized there was no method of avoiding the encounter, so he cried:
"It shall be knives, and I'll drive mine through your heart, cur of a gringo! With pistols you would be my equal, but I know the art of fighting with the knife, and I'll cut you to pieces!"
"Knives it shall be," agreed Frank, still holding the man covered. "If you have a pistol, cast it aside. Should you try to shoot as you pretend to drop the pistol, I'll drop you where you are."
Uttering a sneering laugh, Del Norte removed and flung aside his coat, saying his pistol was in it. He produced a knife, the blade of which glittered in the moonlight.
"I have no weapon of that sort," said Merry. "Have you another?"