They got half way to the tree I was in before the men noticed.
Then the men see them, and jumped on their horses and took out after them.

They gained on the boys, but it didn't do no good, the boys had too good a start; they got to the woodpile that was in front of my tree, and slipped in behind it, and so they had the bulge on the men again.
One of the boys was Buck, and the other was a slim young chap about nineteen years old.
The men ripped around awhile, and then rode away.

As soon as they was out of sight I sung out to Buck and told him.

He didn't know what to make of my voice coming out of the tree at first.

He was awful surprised.