stioners' faces did not ruffle John's candor. "I
know what you fellows are up to. I won't have any bloodshed here this
morning--that's flat. Laramie gets hot sometimes and this is one of
the times for folks to go slow. If you want to talk to Laramie come
along up to the shack. But send them longhorns over there down to the
creek," he added, as an afterthought and in the bluntly candid tone of
appeal that distinguished his persuasiveness.

"Long hell!" spluttered Doubleday.

"Longhorns," persisted Lefever.

Barb growled at the proposal to send the boys down to the creek, and
Van Horn objected, but there was no escape from Lefever's stubbornness,
except a fight and this was not wanted. Lefever passed his word that
Hawk was not in the cabin, but he was adamant on sending the men to the
bottoms and his demand was grudgingly acceded to. In point of fact,
John reckoned himself on foot with a rifle equal to two men on
horseback, even if Van Horn were one. But not being able to take care
of a dozen horsemen he was resolved to have no volleying applause from
other guns, if the unexpected should happen on the open bench land.

After Doubleday and Van Horn's following had at length filed down to
the creek bottom, Lefever walked beside the two horsemen toward the
cabin, and, since he would not walk fast and the two refused to ride
ahead of him, the pace was deliberate all the way. Nor could Lefever
be persuaded even to walk between the two horsemen; he kept them both
religiously on his left, his rifle lying carelessly across his forearm
as he entertained them with a moderately timed and unfailing flow of
Reservation small talk.

But he could not control Van Horn's quick, flashing eyes, and these
were busy every moment and every foot of the way with reconnaissance
and inference. It did not escape either him or Doubleday that a bunch
of horses had been but lately driven over the ground they were
crossing, and every trail leading to and from the cabin obliterated;
this, however, only assured both that their man was close at hand and
strengthened their determination to get him in their own way when they
were ready. So intent were they on reading the ground as well as on
keeping a sharp eye on the cabin itself, that they had almost reached
it before Van Horn, halting, fixed his eyes on the hills to the
left--that is, down the creek--and exclaimed sharply: "Who's that?"

Riding in a leisurely fashion down and out of the