Camp was pitched in the foothills about four o’clock that afternoon. Grazing lands stretched away parallel with the mountain range as far as the eye could see, and then were swallowed up in that everlasting purple haze.
Farther along the valley in the opposite direction they could make out the buildings of the Bindloss ranch, to which Sam said they would ride in the morning, as Hippy Wingate wished to introduce himself to the owner.
Cattle were grazing all along the foothills, hundreds of them, and those close at hand were observed to have the brand of the “Circle O” ranch. They were part of the great herd belonging to Old Joe Bindloss, a rich rancher, a hard man, according to Sam, but respected as a just one.
Cowboys riding in to the ranch-house for supper gazed curiously at the outfit that was making camp, for it was seldom that anything of the sort was seen in the Coso Valley. Arriving at their headquarters the cowboys reported what they had seen. Shortly after supper the Overland Riders were again disturbed, and half a dozen cowboys rode up in a cloud of dust, sweeping off their hats as they pulled down their mustangs at the very edge of the camp. Their attitude was stern, but not unfriendly, and the Overlanders surmised that they were from the “Circle O” ranch, which they soon learned was the fact.
“The Old Man wants to know who you be and what you are doin’ heah,” announced the spokesman. “He ’lows thet he don’t like no strangers foolin’ ’round whar the stock is, and he says it’ll please him if you move on.”
“Say! This is a hospitable country, isn’t it?” cried Stacy Brown. “Since I have been here, about all I have heard is, ‘Get out or get shot up!’ Funny thing about it, though, is that we haven’t ‘got’ and we haven’t been ‘shot up.’”
“Be quiet, Stacy!” admonished Grace.
“Please go back and tell Mr. Bindloss that it is Lieutenant Hippy Wingate, and his friends from the east. Lieutenant Wingate is a friend of Captain Gordon who was out here some time ago on a hunting trip. Say to Mr. Bindloss that if he objects to our camping here, we will go on up into the range and make camp there,” answered Hippy.
“Wal, the Old Man reckoned thet if ye didn’t go we was to fetch ye back whether ye wanted to come or not, but seein’ as thar’s ladies heah mebby we won’t have to take only the men,” answered the spokesman doubtfully.
“Listen, Buddy! You go back and tell the Old Man to come and fetch us himself if he wants to see us. Tell him Lieutenant Wingate said so,” directed Hippy laughingly.