His captors had been within reach of him from the moment he arrived.
Why they had not attacked him at once could only be guessed.
Probably they were so surprised that they didn’t know what to do at first.
And maybe they thought he might be a prospector, or anybody but a detective, who would go away as soon as he had taken a look.
“Wal, by gosh!” muttered one who seemed to be the leader of the sentinels, “I reckon this’ll make some difference with what they’re jawin’ about down thar.”
Patsy tried a bluff.
“I’d like to know what you mean,” he began, indignantly. “I haven’t done anything to you——”
“And we won’t do a thing to you,” interrupted the leader, harshly—“oh, no! we won’t tech ye! Pick him up, boys.”
Two of the men took Patsy on their shoulders, and they went stumbling down the side of the gulch.