"Duck!" panted Dolph Gage. "Out of this! To cover, and then we'll reckon with any one who tries to follow us!"
In the same instant Tom turned, bounding down the trail in the direction from which the shot had come.
"Good! Keep on going, boss!" whispered a calm voice. "Don't let 'em catch you again."
"Who are you?" Tom demanded, halting and trying to make out the man's face in the intense shadow under a ledge of rock.
"Duck!" commanded the same voice. "I'll follow close. I'm alone, and some of that crew may pluck up heart and follow us. Vamoose!"
"I'll go at your side, but I won't run ahead of you," Tom whispered back. "I know you, now. Thank you, Leon!"
In the darkness, in lieu of shaking hands Tom gripped one of the man's elbows in sign of thanks.
"We'd better get out of this," Tom went on, in a barely louder whisper.
"But how did you come to be on hand, Leon?"
"Followed you," was the terse reply.
"From the camp?"