But Davis cut into Dick’s smiling incredulity: 

“Did you say on horseback, Jimmie?”

“Yes, sir, on horseback.  Hope to die if they weren’t—­’bout fifty of them.”

“You better run along home before they catch you, Jimmie,” advised the old miner gravely.

The boy went like a streak of light.  Davis turned quietly to his partner.

“I reckon it’s come, Dick.”

“You believe the boy did see some men on horseback?  It might have been only shadows.”

“No, sir.  His imagination wouldn’t have put spooks on horseback.  We got no time to argue.  You going to hold the fort here or take to the hills?”

“You think they mean to attack us in the open?”

“They’re hoping to surprise us, I reckon.  That’s why they’re coming along the creek instead of the road.  Hadn’t ‘a’ been for Jimmie, they would have picked us off from the porch before we could say ’Jack Robinson.’”

Both men had at once stepped within the log cabin, and, as they talked, were strapping on ammunition belts and looking to their rifles and revolvers.

“There are too many doors and windows to this cabin.  We can’t hold it against them.  We’ll take the trail from the back door that leads up to the old spring.  From up there we’ll keep an eye on them,” said Dick.

“I see ’em coming,” cried the older man softly from the front window.  “They ain’t on the trail, but slipping up through the rocks.  One—­two—­three—­four—­Lord, there’s no end to the beggars!  They’re on foot now.  Left their hawsses, I expect, down by the river.”

Quietly the two men stepped from the back door of the cabin and swiftly ascended the little trail that rose at a sharp acclivity to the spring.  At some height above the cabin, they crouched behind boulders and watched the cautious approach of the enemy.

“Not taking any chances, are they?” murmured Gordon.

Steve laughed softly.

“Heard about that chicken-killing affair, mebbe, and none of them anxious to add a goose to the exhibit.”

“It would be right easy to give that surprise party a first-class surprise,” chuckled Dick.  “Shall I drop a pill or two down among them, just to let them know we’re on the premises?”

“Now, don’t you, Dick.  We’ll have to put half of ’em out of biz, and get shot up by the rest, if you do.”

“All right.  I’ll be good, Steve.  I was only joking, anyhow.  But it ce’tainly is right funny to sit up here and watch them snake up to the empty cabin.  See that fellow with the Mexican hat?  I believe it’s my jealous friend Pablo.  He’s ce’tainly anxious to get one Gringo’s scalp.  I could drop a stone down on him so he’d jump about ’steen feet.”

“There’s one reached the window.  He’s looking in mighty careful, you bet.  Now he’s beckoning the other fellows.  I got a notion he’s made a discovery.”

“Got on to the fact that the nest’s empty.  They’re pouring in like bees.  Can you make out how many there are?  I count nine,” said Dick.