‘I’m going to kill him first,’ he said flatly, and went back toward the opening of the cave.
He knew just where Briggs would pass in entering the cave; so he climbed up on a slab of sandstone, several feet higher than the level of a man’s head, and stretched out flat. He was in the deep shadow, but by lifting his head he could see the fire in the cave, where Nan still huddled. He turned his head and peered over the outer rim of the rock. Something was moving down there, and he could see the dark outline of something.
It came closer, and he decided that it was the crazy man, sneaking back to the cave. Perhaps, thought Rex, he knows I am here, and is trying to surprise me. Inching carefully forward, he swung up his arm and sent the heavy stone crashing downward, where it thudded against some yielding object.
Came a spitting snarl, the rasp of claws on sandstone, and the object vanished down the cañon. He had hit a mountain lion with the stone. Rex realized instantly that he had hit an animal instead of a man, because that snarl never came from a human throat.
But now he was without a weapon of any kind. He slid off the sandstone shelf and went back toward the firelight, trying to pick up another stone. The lion had probably been attracted by the smell of the meat and was stalking the cave.
Rex secured another stone and turned back toward the shelf, when he heard the man coming back, talking to himself. It was too late for him to regain the shelf; so he darted in beside a small ledge, crouching as low as possible.
He heard the scuff of leather soles on the rock, as Briggs came cautiously. Then he saw the huge bulk of the man pass him, going slowly, evidently peering into the cave, trying to see if everything was all right.
Rex straightened up, drew back his arm and flung the stone. But it slipped from his hand and crashed against the wall, far to the right of its victim, and Briggs whirled quickly, grunting with astonishment.
But Rex did not wait to see if he missed. As he flung the stone, he also flung himself forward, locking both arms around Briggs, and his rush carried enough weight to send Briggs to his knees against the sandstone wall of the cave.
The heavy revolver went spinning across the stony floor, and the two men surged to their feet, only to crash down again, fighting with tooth and nail; fighting silently, as far as their voices were concerned.