it seemed strange that the messenger, if such he was, should know the right course to follow in order to reach the camp of capt. asbury, for he was riding directly toward it, and that, too, at the highest speed of which his horse was capable.
but monteith sterry had noted a fact which escaped the captain, though he was an observant man. the horseman was not approaching the camp at the moment the couple reached the crest of the elevation and began scrutinizing the surrounding country; he was going at right angles to it, but (as it afterward proved) he carried a glass, with which, at that moment, he was also scanning the horizon for something he was very anxious to find.
fortunately he caught sight of the couple, and though he could not be assured of their identity at so great a distance, the suspicion of the truth as to capt. asbury caused him to put his animal to his best speed.
in a brief time he rode up. while some rods away he recognized the captain and saluted him. a little nearer approach and he identified sterry, who was astonished beyond measure to discover that he was his old friend, dick hawkridge, toward whose ranch he had ridden on the preceding evening.
"you're out early, dick," was the salutation of sterry, as his old friend reined up beside him and extended his hand.
"and are riding hard," added capt. asbury, who liked the young man.
"i ride hard," replied hawkridge, gravely, "because there is need of it; i was looking for you."
"and why looking for me?" inquired the captain.
"because you and your men are in great peril."
"ah. what might be its nature?"
"from the rustlers."
"i was trying to persuade myself that it was they who were in peril from us, but you put it differently."
"it might be as you wish if you had twenty-five or fifty men; but with less than a dozen, and more than twice that number looking for you, discretion is the better part of valor."
"tell me, hawkridge, how all this interesting information came to you," continued capt. asbury.
"my ranch is not far to the northward, my cattle are ranging among the foothills of the big horn mountains, and all my hands are with them. i sat up late last night, going over my accounts and trying to get them into shape, and it was past midnight when two rustlers rode up. i supposed they meant to stay all night and invited them in. i have never had any trouble with them, and they had two purposes in calling. one was to give me a little advice, and the other to secure information."
"their advice, i suppose, was that you cast in your fortunes with them, and take up the business of branding mavericks and altering other brands."
"hardly that, but it was that i should keep out of the trouble, for there are going to be ugly times. now you know that, however much i may wish to let things proceed smoothly, i will never identify myself with the law-breakers. i gave my callers to understand that, and i think they respect my position.
"it seems to me," added hawkridge, thoughtfully, "that there have been some woeful mistakes made. the cattle association have organized an expedition to rid johnson, natroma and converse counties of cattle-thieves, as they call them. they have imported twenty-five picked men from texas, every one of whom is a fighter and dead shot, with capt. smith, an ex-u.s. marshal, as their leader. one of the party may be taken as a type of the rest. he is scott davis, once a guard on the deadwood coach, and he carries a gun with twenty notches on the stock, each representing the death of a road-agent or other outlaw.
"the expedition left cheyenne some days ago and is somewhere in this section. strong as it is, it is doomed to defeat, for i don't care how brave and skilful those fellows are, they are no more so than the rustlers, who far outnumber them.
"however, it isn't that which concerns you and me just now, though it may do so later. the rustlers have learned that you are out with a small party, and they are after you."
capt. asbury was a brave man, and he did not start on hearing this announcement, for he had been expecting it from the first; but he was prudent as well as daring, and he knew his young friend did not underestimate the danger of himself and companions.
"have they learned anything about last night's doings?" asked sterry.
"that's what started me off after you in such a hurry. my callers stayed more than two hours, and were about leaving when who should ride up but duke vesey, with his story of the killing of his comrade, jack perkins, by you and your men."
"i suppose he called it a murder," remarked capt. asbury, sarcastically.
"yes, the worst kind, too. i knew he was drawing a long bow, but he will tell it to others, and it will spread like wildfire. he was looking for ira inman, larch cadmus and his party. there are more of them than you and others are aware of, riding up and down the country, ripe for any mischief. from what i know, inman and a dozen of the most desperate rustlers are in the neighborhood, and as the two fellows who were at my ranch volunteered to help vesey find them they will do it pretty soon, if they have not already done so. vesey declared it as his belief that you would be discovered not far from his burned home, so as soon as they left i mounted my best horse and started to give you warning."
"i appreciate your kindness, hawkridge; how did you know the right direction?"
"i knew the course to vesey's ranch, and was speeding that way when i caught sight of you and sterry on the top of this hill. i took a squint through my glass, was pretty sure who it was, and then came like mad. i didn't suspect it was you though, mont, until i almost ran against you."
"did vesey say anything about me?" asked sterry, with a meaning glance at the captain.
"he said you had acted like a white man in some dispute, but he didn't give the particulars and i didn't question him. he is intensely bitter against the captain and his party, and declares that not one of them shall get out of the country alive; and, captain, duke vesey is a man of his word."
"then i suppose i may consider myself disposed of," replied asbury, with a laugh.
"not as bad as that, but it depends upon yourself."
"what do you advise?"
"start southward at once with your men; if you meet the texans and their friends, join them if you choose; it will make their strength so much the greater, and they need it all. if you fail to meet them, keep on till you cross the platte and strike fort fetterman. in other words, captain, you have no business to be where you are."
