UNWELCOME VISITORS. 65 



ing of the seventh Dyche had started for the bear- trap, 

 when he saw Brown coming up the canon. 



" How did you get here so early in the morning? " 

 was the greeting. 



" I got within half a mile of camp last night before 

 sundown, but clouds and fog settled down so that I 

 did not like to risk coming on in the dark." 



Brown had the mail and plenty of provisions, which 

 were badly needed, for Dyche had had only two 

 biscuits since Brown left. 



" I had visitors while you were away," said Dyche, 

 after they had eaten breakfast. " You remember that 

 camp-fire that we saw down in the valley? Well, I 

 think the fellows who built that fire came up to see 

 me, and from their appearance and actions I think 

 they meant no good. I saw them coming and made 

 it a point to be cleaning the guns when they came up. 

 They talked Spanish, but when they found that I 

 could not understand it they talked good English and 

 asked me many questions about my business and why 

 I was up here. I told them the truth, showed my 

 specimens, and convinced them that I was all right, 

 and at last they went away. I was not at all satisfied 

 with the interview, and when they had gone I started 

 to hunt and skirted along the edge of the woods 

 where I could watch them. They went down into 

 the valley and met another man who was taking 

 care of the horses. I think they were a band of 

 horse-thieves, and I lay behind a log all that night, 

 and if they had come fooling around they would have 

 had a reception which they did not bargain for." 



A fine white-tailed buck which had been eluding 



