"You keep out of here, stranger!" ordered one of the quartette gruffly.
"Don't you do anything of the sort, Harry!" roared Reade's voice.
"You keep right on an join us."
"Did you hear my advice?" insisted the leader of the four, holding his rifle as though would throw the butt to his shoulder.
"Yes," said Hazelton, calmly, "but I also heard my senior partner's order. He and I stick together. Gangway, please."
Harry was cool enough as he rode his horse at a walk past the men. Hazelton will never understand how near death he was at that moment. But there had been a few whispered words between the men, and they had allowed him to ride by.
"What's the game here, Tom?" Harry called cheerily. "Any real excitement going on?"
"No." Tom shook his head. "Just a little misunderstanding over a question of fact."
"Then I see that the lie hasn't been passed," grinned Hazelton.
"The ground isn't littered at all."
He rode up to his chum, displaying no curiosity.
That the automobile party had been much cheered by the arrival of the young engineers was wholly apparent. For the same reason the four men appeared to be a good deal less certain of themselves.