Then he distinguished several saddle-horses tied to the fence surrounding the water-hole and there were figures of men walking to and from his house, many of them.  He set spur to Pill and loped up to the fence.  A Mexican with a hard, lined face stepped up to him.  “You vamose!” he said, pointing down the road.

Sundown stared at the men about the yard.  Among them he recognized several of Loring’s herders, armed and evidently equipped with horses, for they were booted and spurred.  He pushed back his hat.  “Vamose, eh?  I’ll be damned if I do.”

CHAPTER XXVI

THE INVADERS

The Mexican whipped his gun out and covered Sundown, who wisely put up his hands.  Two of the men crawled through the fence, secured Sundown’s horse, and ordered him to dismount.  Before both feet had touched the ground one of the Mexicans had snatched Sundown’s gun from its holster.  Chance leaped at the Mexican, but Sundown’s “Here, Chance!” brought the dog growling to his master.

At that moment Loring stepped from the house, and shouldering aside the men strode up to Sundown.  The sheep-man was about to speak when the tall one raised his arm and shook his fist in Loring’s face.

“Fer two pins I’d jump you and stomp the gizzard out of you, you low-down, dried-up, whisker-faced, mutton-eatin’ butcher, you!  I goes to you and makes you a square offer and you come pussy-footin’ in and steals me ranch when I ain’t there!  If Jack Corliss don’t run you plumb off the edge afore to-morrow night, I’ll sure see if there’s any law—­” and Sundown paused for lack of breath.

“Law?  Mebby you think you got somethin’ to say about this here water-hole, and mebby not,” said Loring.  “Don’t get het up.  I come to this country before you knew it was here.  And for law—­I reckon seein’ you’re wanted by the law that them papers of yourn is good for startin’ a fire—­and nothin’ more.  The law says that no man wanted by the law kin homestead.  The water-hole is open to the fust man that wants it and I’m the fust.  Now mebby you can think that over and cool off.”

Sundown was taken aback.  Though unversed in the intricacies of the law, he was sensible enough to realize that Loring was right.  Yet he held tenaciously to his attitude of proprietor of the water-hole.  It was his home—­the only home that he had known in his variegated career.  The fact that he was not guilty buoyed him up, however.  He decided that discretion had its uses.  As his first anger evaporated, he cast about for a plan whereby to notify Corliss of the invasion of the water-hole ranch.  His glance wandered to Chance.

Then he raised his eyes.  “Well, now the fireworks is burned down, what you goin’ to do?”

Loring gestured toward the house.  “That’s my business.  But you can turn in and cook grub for the men.  That’ll keep you from thinkin’ too hard, and we’re like to be busy.”