Again the dogs charged, two of them, only, out of the three, and again there was the sound of thick, rapid blows. One dog came back to its master, pressing against his legs for courage. Mackenzie shouted, hoping to draw the intruder into revealing himself, not wanting the blood of even a rascal such as the night-prowler on his hands through a chance shot into the dark. There was no answer, no sound from the deep blackness that pressed like troubled waters close to the ground.
The dog clung near to Mackenzie’s side, his growling deep in his throat. Mackenzie could feel the beast tremble as it pressed against him, and bent to caress it and give it confidence. At his reassuring touch the 116 beast bounded forward to the charge again, only to come yelping back, and continue on down the hill toward the flock.
Mackenzie fired again, dodging quickly behind a clump of bushes after the flash of his gun. As he crouched there, peering and straining ahead into the dark, strong hands laid hold of him, and tore his rifle away from him and flung him to the ground. One came running from the wagon, low words passed between the man who held Mackenzie pinned to the ground, knees astride him, his hands doubled back against his chin in a grip that was like fetters. This one who arrived in haste groped around until he found Mackenzie’s rifle.
“Let him up,” he said.
Mackenzie stood, his captor twisting his arms behind him with such silent ease that it was ominous of what might be expected should the sheepherder set up a struggle to break free.
“Bud, I’ve come over after my guns,” said Hector Hall, speaking close to Mackenzie’s ear.
“They’re up at the wagon,” Mackenzie told him, with rather an injured air. “You didn’t need to make all this trouble about it; I was keeping them for you.”
“Go on up and get ’em,” Hall commanded, prodding Mackenzie in the ribs with the barrel of his own gun.
The one who held Mackenzie said nothing, but walked behind him, rather shoved him ahead, hands twisted in painful rigidity behind his back, pushing him along as if his weight amounted to no more than a child’s. At the wagon Hall fell in beside Mackenzie, the barrel of a gun again at his side.