“That’s so,” nodded Curry, at the same time lifting his eyes and watching with interest several horsemen who now appeared far up the valley, riding toward them through the heat haze.
Bland noticed Curry’s look and turned in the same direction.
“Who does you allow is coming?” he questioned, with repressed eagerness.
Instead of answering, Curry called to the men who were laboring in the bed of the creek.
“Oh, Bill! Oh, Abe! Come up yere right away.”
The inflection of his voice indicated that something was wrong, and the two men hastened to join him.
Curry motioned toward the approaching horsemen.
“Mebbe we is troubled some,” he observed. “We needs to be ready.”
The horsemen came on rapidly. There were seven of them in all. Like Curry and his two companions, the captives watched the approaching men with no small amount of anxiety. As the horsemen drew near, having told Bill and Abe to watch the prisoners closely, Curry rode forward.
“Howdy, gents!” he called.