"It ain't none of you-uns' business, thet ain't. Better turn back an' have done with it."
The old man showed plainly that he did not wish to converse further.
He stood in the center of the trail, with his gun ready for instant use.
"We made a mistake before and got into a sink-hole," said Dick. "We don't want to make another mistake."
"Take tudder trail an' you-uns will be all right," answered the old man, and thereupon they turned around and rode off.
"What a crusty old fellow!" said Sam.
"Yes, but he meant business," came from Fred. "He would have shot at us sure, had we insisted upon moving forward."
"There is some mystery about this," said Dick.
"Perhaps he lives a hermit life down that trail," suggested Songbird.
"It looked more to me as if he was on guard," put in Sam. "He certainly meant business."
"If we had time, I'd sneak around to one side and see what was beyond."