Grant, however, already had discovered the approach of the guide and the Navajo, who now were not more than forty yards distant from the place where the boys were standing.

“I wonder if these men are hungry too,” said Grant dryly.  As he spoke he turned toward the approaching guide, an action which was immediately followed by all the camp.

For a moment the two unwelcome visitors appeared to be about to flee from the place.  They turned toward the Gulch, but soon their courage apparently returned and they came back to the place near the fire.

By this time Zeke and Thomas Jefferson had arrived at the camp and in his most surly manner the guide turned to the two uninvited guests and said, “What are you two fellows doing here?”

“We stopped to get something to eat,” explained the man with the scar, who, as usual, was the spokesman.

“Well, you aren’t going to get it here,” said Zeke sharply.  “The thing for you to do is to vamoose.  Get out of here and get out right away!  None of that,” added Zeke in a low voice as he saw one of the men reach toward his hip pocket.  “There’s going to be no shootin’ done here exceptin’ I am th’ one to do it.”

Zeke, who was a powerful man, now grasped the hands of the man with the scar and in spite of his efforts twisted his wrists until he compelled him to drop the weapon which he had drawn from his pocket.

“Leave it there,” said Zeke quietly.  “It won’t do any harm.  Now you two get and don’t you wait for me to say it again!”

There was something in Zeke’s manner that convinced the two men that it might be dangerous for them to delay.  Glancing hastily at each other they at once turned from the camp.

When they had gone fifty feet, the smaller man stopped and turned about so that he once more faced the camp, as he shouted, “You think the game is in your hands, don’t you?  Well, you’ll have another think.  All I can say to you is that you’ve got a big surprise coming.”

As no one responded to his threat the stranger quickly turned about and soon overtook his companion.

Silently the Go Ahead Boys watched the departing men until they had disappeared below the rim of the great Gulch.  Then Fred said, “Zeke, what do you suppose that fellow meant?”

“There’s no tellin’,” replied Zeke in his most non-committal manner.

“But what do you think?”

“I’m not thinkin’ very much.  I’m watchin’ this stuff to see that it doesn’t burn.”

“That’s all right, Zeke,” said Fred impatiently.  “But what I want to know is whether or not you think those two men are going to be waiting for us when we find the claim which Simon Moultrie staked.”

“I’ll have to tell you later about that.”

“Look there!  They are coming back!” abruptly exclaimed Fred.

The Go Ahead Boy’s words were true for the two men were seen clambering upon the rim and once more approaching the camp.