Two or three head of cattle got separated, and Gabriel turned back at a few paces to head them off. Don Mariano and Victoriano kept on, and soon after met Darrell.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Darrell,” said Don Mariano, pleasantly. “You see we are Clarence's vaqueros now.”
Darrell muttered something gruffly, and stopped his horse in the middle of the road. The others did the same. Don Mariano saw that Darrell was very angry, and waited for him to speak first.
The enraged man gasped twice, but no sound came. On the third effort his harsh tones said:
“I want you to tell me what is all this trickery and lies about my having paid you six thousand four hundred dollars for land. You know that to be a lie.”
“Of course I do. You never paid me a cent, nor the other settlers either. No settler wants to pay, and I never said you had, or expected they would, for I know they believe themselves authorized by law to appropriate my property.”
“Didn't Clarence pay you for the land I took?”
“Look here, Mr. Darrell, business matters between Clarence and myself are not to be mentioned, and unless he authorizes me to speak I cannot repeat anything which he wishes to keep quiet.”
“Then you have some private business together.”
Don Mariano bowed, but did not speak. Darrell came closer to the Don, and shaking at him the fist in which he held the whip, said: