When Brown emerged from behind the protection of the cabin, his freckled face yet burning red in memory of his strenuous love-making, he discovered both Hicks and Winston standing upon the rock which shortly before had formed their breakfast table, gazing watchfully off into the purple depths of the canyon, occasionally lifting their eyes to search carefully the nearer surroundings about the hostile “Independence.”  Something serious was in the air, and all three men felt its mysterious presence.  Hicks held the field-glasses in his hands, outwardly calm, yet his old face already beginning to exhibit the excitement of rapidly culminating events.  That they were not to be long left undisturbed was promised by an increasing number of figures distinctly visible around the distant shaft-house and dump, as well as the continuous shouting, indistinguishable as to words but pronounced in volume, borne through the clear air to their ears.

“I ’m a liar if ther was n’t twenty in that last bunch,” Hicks muttered, just a trifle uneasily.  “Good Lord boys! it ’s an army they ‘re organizin’ over yonder.  Blame me if I onderstan’ that sorter scheme at all.  It don’t look nat’ral.  I never thought Farnham was no coward when ther time come fer fightin’, but this kind o’ fixin’ shore looks as if we had him skeered stiff.  Wal, it ’ll take more ’n a bunch o’ San Juan toughs to skeer me.  I reckon ther present plan must be ter try rushin’ ther ‘Little Yankee.’”

He wheeled about, driving the extended tubes of his glass together, his gray beard forking out in front of his lean, brown face like so many bristles.

“Oh, is thet you come back, Stutter?  Thought I heerd somebody walkin’ behind me.  I reckon, judgin’ from ther outlook over thar, thet the dance is ‘bout ter begin; leastwise, the fiddlers is takin’ their places,” and he waved his gnarled hand toward the distant crowd.  “Got somethin’ like a reg’ment thar now, hoss and fut, an’ it’s safe ter bet thar ‘s more a-comin’.  This yere fracas must be gittin’ some celebrated, an’ bids fair ter draw bigger ’n a three-ringed circus.  All ther scum o’ San Juan must ’a got a private tip thet we was easy marks.  They ‘re out yere like crows hopin’ ter pick our bones clean afore the law kin git any show at all.  Wal, it ’ll be a tough meal all right, an’ some of ’em are mighty liable ter have trouble with their digestion, fer thar ‘s goin’ ter be considerable lead eat first.  Now see yere, Stutter, the safest thing we kin do is git ready.  You chase that whole bunch yonder back behind them rocks, where they ’ll be out o’ the way—­the Swede an’ the women.  Do it lively, an’ you an’ Mike stay up thar with ’em, with your guns handy.  Keep under cover as much as ye kin, for some o’ them lads out thar will have glasses with ’em, and be watchin’ of us almighty close.  Hurry ‘long now; me an’ Winston will stop yere until we find out just what their little game is likely ter be.”