Only their big hats showed and I could not make out whether they were Mexicans or white men.

My two guests would tell me nothing, except to assert that they knew nothing of their followers, or why they began shooting.

Realizing that these two had me at their mercy, that they could make me do chores for them, fetch water, cook, feed and attend to the horses till nightfall, when with my own two fresh mounts they might possibly make a bolt for it, I got a bit anxious, and determined to find out who the larger party were.

So walking out and waving my hat I caught their attention and, on advancing further, one of the party came out and met me.

They were neighbouring cattlemen, and explained that the two men in my house were rustlers, and they were determined to take them dead or alive.