“Tell us what’s what,” said Stewart, cool and grim.

“Don Carlos an’ his guerrillas are campin’ on the trails thet lead up here.  They’ve got them trails blocked.  By to-morrer they’d hed us corralled.  Mebbe they meant to surprise us.  He’s got a lot of Greasers an’ outlaws.  They’re well armed.  Now what do they mean?  You-all can figger it out to suit yourselves.  Mebbe the Don wants to pay a sociable call on our ladies.  Mebbe his gang is some hungry, as usual.  Mebbe they want to steal a few hosses, or anythin’ they can lay hands on.  Mebbe they mean wuss, too.  Now my idee is this, an’ mebbe it’s wrong.  I long since separated from love with Greasers.  Thet black-faced Don Carlos has got a deep game.  Thet two-bit of a revolution is hevin’ hard times.  The rebels want American intervention.  They’d stretch any point to make trouble.  We’re only ten miles from the border.  Suppose them guerrillas got our crowd across thet border?  The U. S. cavalry would foller.  You-all know what thet’d mean.  Mebbe Don Carlos’s mind works thet way.  Mebbe it don’t.  I reckon we’ll know soon.  An’ now, Stewart, whatever the Don’s game is, shore you’re the man to outfigger him.  Mebbe it’s just as well you’re good an’ mad about somethin’.  An’ I resign my job because I want to feel unbeholdin’ to anybody.  Shore it struck me long since thet the old days hed come back fer a little spell, an’ there I was trailin’ a promise not to hurt any Greaser.”

XIX Don Carlos

Stewart took Nels, Monty, and Nick Steele aside out of earshot, and they evidently entered upon an earnest colloquy.  Presently the other cowboys were called.  They all talked more or less, but the deep voice of Stewart predominated over the others.  Then the consultation broke up, and the cowboys scattered.

“Rustle, you Indians!” ordered Stewart.

The ensuing scene of action was not reassuring to Madeline and her friends.  They were quiet, awaiting some one to tell them what to do.  At the offset the cowboys appeared to have forgotten Madeline.  Some of them ran off into the woods, others into the open, grassy places, where they rounded up the horses and burros.  Several cowboys spread tarpaulins upon the ground and began to select and roll small packs, evidently for hurried travel.  Nels mounted his horse to ride down the trail.  Monty and Nick Steele went off into the grove, leading their horses.  Stewart climbed up a steep jumble of stone between two sections of low, cracked cliff back of the camp.

Castleton offered to help the packers, and was curtly told he would be in the way.  Madeline’s friends all importuned her:  Was there real danger?  Were the guerrillas coming?  Would a start be made at once for the ranch?  Why had the cowboys suddenly become so different?  Madeline answered as best she could; but her replies were only conjecture, and modified to allay the fears of her guests.  Helen was in a white glow of excitement.