What they had intended for an ambush had been turned into a siege and they were the besieged.
The one who first rose up from behind the rock still lay where he had fallen. Big Joe commenced signaling to Bud to let him know of their presence.
“There were six men in the halfbreed’s gang, wonder where he got them all?” pondered Mason.
“The fellow that dropped first is one of them four men that joined Ricker’s lately. They are the men that Bud rounded up and sent to prison five years ago,” answered Tex.
“I believe you’re right,” agreed Big Joe. “It would be an easy matter for the halfbreed to get them to join him if they thought they had a chance to get Bud.”
A long silence followed, to be broken by a shot still farther off to their left. The firing increased to a volley of shots.
“Scotty is making it warm for them again,” said with a grin. “He is working around rear of them.”
“They can’t stand that hot fire much longer,” declared Big Joe. “Get ready for the men, they will make a charge soon.”
Five minutes later the halfbreed and his men broke cover and charged into the open, intending to fight their way through. Bud and his men advanced to meet them, and the rifle fire grew so hot that Powers and the halfbreed broke and ran. The men that Bud had sent to prison held firm, and walked straight into his fire with curses on their lips. Bud had been slightly wounded, and with bullets kicking up the earth all around him, it was a wonder he was not killed outright. Bud and Red Sullivan had dropped to their knees and were pumping a hail of bullets into the survivors of the halfbreed’s gang. Slowly they crumpled up and the fight was over.
“Get after Powers and the halfbreed, they are trying to escape,” Bud called to Big Joe.