it will be recalled that during these incidents monteith sterry and fred whitney were sitting at the front of the long, low building, which was the home of the latter, discussing the incidents of the last day or two, as well as the matter of whitney removing, with his family, to the east, in order to prevent any addition to the affliction they had just suffered.
besides this, whitney had turned on his young friend, and impressed upon him that he, too, was incurring unjustifiable risk by remaining in wyoming during the inflamed state of public feeling. there was much less excuse in the case of sterry than of his host. he ought to be at home prosecuting the study of his profession, as his parents wished him to do. his health was fully restored, and it cannot be denied that he was wasting his precious days. he was fond of his father, mother, brothers and sisters, and it would grieve them beyond expression if he should uselessly sacrifice himself.
"yes," he replied, "i cannot deny the truth of what you say, fred. i ought to leave this part of the country."
"of course; you're not needed; your future has been mapped for you, and it is hard to make up lost time."
"we found that out at the high school," returned mont, with a light laugh; "but the pearl of great price, in a worldly sense, is good health, and i have been repaid in securing it."
"and having secured it, it remains—mont," added his companion abruptly, but without the slightest change of tone, "don't stop to ask me why, but step quickly through the door and into the house, and keep out of sight for a few minutes."
"i understand," said sterry, obeying without an instant's hesitation.
the prompt, unquestioning compliance with the request of fred whitney showed that monteith sterry understood the reason that it was made of him.
the truth was, that during the last few minutes the young men were talking in front of the house, each descried something suspicious on the broad plain. they instinctively lowered their voices, and though neither made reference to it, both gave more attention to it than to their own words.
they heard nothing of the tramp of horses, but saw the shadowy figures of several men hovering on what may be termed the line of invisibility. sometimes they were distinguished quite clearly, and then seemed to vanish; but the youths could not be mistaken.
a number of persons were out there, not mounted, but on foot, and moving about, without approaching any closer, for the space of several minutes. it looked as if they were reconnoitering the house from a distance and debating the best manner of procedure.
the suspicions of the friends were the same. they were rustlers looking for the inspector.
mont sterry would have preferred to stay where he was and have it out with them, but the circumstances were so peculiar that he could not refuse to do as his comrade requested.
the cause of whitney's wish was the abrupt increasing distinctness of the figures, proof that they had reached a decision and were approaching the house.
they speedily came into plain sight, four men, in the garb of cowmen, and they were rustlers beyond question.
conscious that they were seen, they now advanced directly, as if coming from a distance, though the fact that they were on foot showed that such was not the case.
with feelings which it would be hard to describe, fred whitney recognized the first as larch cadmus, wearing the same whiskers as before. had he been thoughtful enough to disguise his voice the young man would not have suspected his identity.
the moon had worked around into that quarter of the heavens that its light shone on the figure of fred, who rose to his feet, as was his custom, and advanced a few paces to meet the newcomers.
"good evening!" he said. "how happens it that you are afoot at this time of night?"
"our horses ain't fur off," replied cadmus; "the rest of the boys didn't think it worth while to trouble you."
"what do you mean by troubling me?" asked fred, though he understood the meaning.
"we're on an unpleasant errand," continued cadmus, acting as the spokesman of the party, the others remaining in the background and maintaining silence.
"shall i bring chairs for you? it is so unusually mild to-night that i am sitting out doors from choice, and i do not wish to disturb my mother and sister, who retired some time ago."
"no, we'll stand," was the curt response. "whitney, as i suppose it is, are you accustomed to sit out here alone?"
"not when i can have company."
"were you alone before we came up?"
"when you were here earlier in the evening, as you saw for yourself, i had my sister and a friend."
"exactly; who was that friend?"
"mont sterry, the gentleman who is on a little tour through some parts of wyoming and montana to try to help make you fellows behave yourselves."
"yes; wal, we're looking for him."
"why do you come here?"
"because he spends a good deal of his time here; he seems to be interested in miss whitney."
"well, if he is, that is no business of yours," retorted fred, angered by the reference to his sister.
"perhaps not, but it would be well for you to keep a civil tongue in your head, fred whitney; we're not in a pleasant mood to-night, for we've had trouble."
"it matters not to me what trouble you've had; you have no right to name any member of my family. they are in affliction; my father was shot down by your gang yesterday, and, though we made several of you fellows bite the dust, the whole of them weren't worth his little finger."
"we'll let them matters drop; i told you we're looking for mont sterry, and we're going to have him."
"and i ask you again, why do you come here after him? i don't deny that he was with me, but he left fully two hours ago."
"we know that; he gave us the slip, but we believe he came back."
"and i ask what reason you have for such belief; why did he bid us good-by and ride away? i know that he had not the slightest intention of returning for several days," said fred, sticking to the technical truth.
"we don't care what his intention was, he did come back."
"how do you know that?"
"he was sitting in that chair alongside of you less than ten minutes ago; you were smoking and talking, though you didn't speak loud enough for us to catch your words."
"where is the proof, larch cadmus, of what you say?"
without noticing this penetration of his disguise, the rustler turned and spoke to the nearest of his companions:
"spark holly, how was it?"
"i seen 'em both and heard 'em talking," was the prompt response of the individual appealed to.
"are your eyes better than the others'?" asked fred.
"they don't have to be," replied cadmus, speaking for him. "while we stayed in front of the house, spark stole round to the rear, where none of your family seen him. he got to the corner and had a good look at both of you."
"does he know sterry?" inquired fred, purposely raising his voice, that his friend, standing a few feet away within the house, should not miss a word.
"he don't know him, but i do, and the description spark gives fits the man we're after to a t. we want him."
"but the notice you gave sterry allowed him twenty-four hours' grace. why do you ask for him now?"
"them was my sentiments, but when i joined the party under inman, a little while ago, he told me the boys had reconsidered that matter, and decided that after what sterry has done, and tried to do, i hadn't any right to make the promise."
"that may be their decision, but it cannot affect yours; you are bound by the pledge you made in writing to him."
larch cadmus, like his companions, was growing impatient. he said:
"i haven't come here to argue the matter with you; i've come after my man, and am going to have him."
"and i repeat what i said: he left more than two hours ago, and you have no business to come here."
"do you mean to tell me he isn't in the house?" demanded cadmus, with rising temper.
"i refuse to answer, but i do say that neither you nor any of your gang shall enter my home, where are my mother and sister, their hearts stricken by your murderous doings of yesterday, except over my dead body."
"we don't like to disturb the ladies," said cadmus, "but we mean business; we have promised the boys to bring back that fellow; but i'll make a proposition."
"what is it?"
"if you will say that mont sterry is not in there, we'll go away without disturbing any one; we'll take your word."
"i recognize no right of yours to question me," was the scornful reply of fred whitney.
"boys," said cadmus, turning again to his companions, "that's only another way of owning up that the coward is hiding here, afraid to meet us; he's our game."
