The remarks that followed his identification were as ludicrous as they were vigourous.
The majority believed he had played a trick on them in pretending to be Mont Sterry, whom all were so anxious to bring down; but there were one or two who were not satisfied.

They knew the voice of the inspector, which in no way resembled the gruff tones of Inman.

Then, their leader was not given to practical jokes.
"What set you to hunting me so hard ?" he asked, after the first flurry was over.
"We're looking for Mont Sterry." "Wal, what made you take me for him?
Do I look like him in the moonlight ?" "But you said you were, and fired at us," explained one.
"Fired at you?
Said I was that chap?
What in the mischief are you driving at ?" One, who suspected the truth, now interposed.
"We did meet Sterry and hailed him; you must have heard our guns; he dashed into the arroya; we saw you gallop out on t'other side, and took you for him." "Ah, I understand it all now," replied Inman; "I had ridden down there on my way back from a little scout, when a horseman dashed into the slope behind me like a thunderbolt.

My horse was so scared that he went up the other side on the jump, and before I could turn around to find out what it all meant, you lunkheads came down on me with the request to oblige you by throwing up my hands, which I will see you hanged before I'll do." "But where is he?
What has become of him ?" asked several, looking around, as thought they expected to see the young man ride forward and surrender himself.
"Wal, calling to mind the kind of horse he rides, I should say he is about a half-mile off by this time, laughing to find out how cleverly he has fooled you chaps." "It looks as if you was in the same boat, Inman," retorted one of the chagrined party.
"I wasn't chasing Sterry." "He seemed to be chasing you, for you came out of the arroya ahead of him." "If he was chasing me," replied the leader, who felt that the laugh was on his companions, "he would have followed me out; but I don't see anything of him;" and he, too, stared around, as though not sure the man would not do the improbable thing named.
"It was a blamed cute trick, any way you look at it," remarked one of the party.

"It was queer that you should have been there, Inman, just at the minute needed.