sombreros. Either they were unable or unwilling to restrain their horses
in their headlong speed, and a collision in that narrow passage was
imminent, but suddenly, before reaching its entrance, they diverged
with a volley of oaths, and dashing along the left bank of the arroyo,
disappeared in the intervening willows. Divided between relief at their
escape and indignation at what seemed to be a drunken, feast-day freak
of these roystering vaqueros, the little party re-formed, when a cry
from Barker arrested them. He had just perceived a horseman motionless
in the arroyo who, although unnoticed by them, had evidently been seen
by the Mexicans. He had apparently leaped into it from the bank, and had
halted as if to witness this singular incident. As the clatter of
the vaqueros' hoofs died away he lightly leaped the bank again and
disappeared. But in that single glimpse of him they recognized Jack
Hamlin. When they reached the spot where he had halted, they could see
that he must have approached it from the trail where they had previously
seen him, but which they now found crossed it at right angles. Barker
was right. He had really kept them at easy distance the whole length of
the journey.

But they were now reaching its end. When they issued at last from
the arroyo they came upon the outskirts of Boomville and the great
stage-road. Indeed, the six horses of the Pioneer coach were just
panting along the last half mile of the steep upgrade as they
approached. They halted mechanically as the heavy vehicle swayed
and creaked by them. In their ordinary working dress, sunburnt with
exposure, covered with dust, and carrying their rifles still in their
hands, they, perhaps, presented a sufficiently characteristic appearance
to draw a few faces--some of them pretty and intelligent--to the windows
of the coach as it passed. The sensitive Barker was quickest to feel
that resentment with which the Pioneer usually met the wide-eyed