In a short time he heard the man again moving, though his body was hidden from him by the rock. Knowing it would not do for him to allow the other to get too much the start of him, the postboy once more moved cautiously forward.
Around the rocky point concealing his foe from him he darted, to come suddenly into full view of the man, whom he quickly recognized as Robin Burrnock.
The outlaw saw him at the same moment, and with a fierce imprecation he whipped out a pistol and aimed point-blank at the postboy's head.
Fortunately the weapon missed fire, and before he could repeat his attempt, Little Snap leveled his revolver at Burrnock's heart, crying:
"Stand where you are or I will fire!"
With a hoarse laugh, the outlaw, unheeding the threat, leaped forward upon a wider shelf of rock.
Though not wishing to kill him, the postboy fired at the man's lower limbs, hoping thus to stop his escape. But he missed his mark, and as he cocked the weapon for a second shot, Burrnock hurled his own useless weapon with such unerring precision at him that he dashed the revolver from Little Snap's clutch.
"Come on ef ye want me!" cried the outlaw, and vexed at his blundering work, the postboy sprang nimbly up to the ledge beside the robber, taking him so much by surprise that he was forced to drop the mail pouch and defend himself against the attack of the plucky boy.
Little Snap had thought to seize the sack and spring down upon the lower rim of ledge out of the outlaw's reach before he could stop him. But Robin Burrnock proved himself almost as nimble as his young assailant, so the postboy found himself caught in the man's strong arms, when the twain became locked in a hand-to-hand struggle for life or death.
"The old Nick take ye!" howled the desperado of Blazed Acre, "I'll show ye yer match wunst."