"What do you men mean by drawing your guns on us an' halting us this way?"
"In these doubtful times," replied Tom, "we don't propose to allow a party of armed men to enter our camp without first finding out who they are an' what's their business with us. Will you please tell us what yours is?"
"Why, certainly," returned the big ruffian. "We are free rangers looking up stray an' stolen stock an' also gathering in good hosses an' mules fer the government. Have you any objections to that?"
"Not in the least," said Tom, "but we have no stray or stolen stock an' no horses or mules for sale, an' I don't see as you have any further business with this outfit."
"The reason why we've made this call on you is this," answered Tucker. "A short time ago one of my men had a fine pair of mules stole from him an' trailed 'em down nigh to Leavenworth where he lost track of 'em. I learned from the old storekeeper over the crick yonder that you men had lately bought your mules in Leavenworth, an' when I went back to camp an' mentioned this matter to Bill Sawyer he got to thinkin' about it, an' he thought that possibly you might of bought his mules without knowin' they was stole; an' so I jes' brung him an' a few more of the boys over to look at your mules."
While the captain was making his little speech Jack gave me an occasional wink, which seemed to say: "Listen to what's comin'."
"Now, pardner," continued the jayhawker, "we ain't in the habit of spending much time arguing about a matter of this kind, an', as I tol' you before, we're a-gatherin' up mules an' hosses fer the government, an' whenever we find any that suits we just take 'em, givin' an order on Uncle Sam, an' he foots the bill. But to show you that we're dealing on the square with you men about these mules, ef they ain't ours we don't want 'em. Now, I'll make you a fair proposition. The man that lost the mules I'm talking about is out yonder, an' he's never seen your mules yet. He's got the brands marked down on a piece of paper. Now, ef you're honorable men an' willing to do what's right I don't see how you can help accepting my proposition, which is this: I'll call Bill Sawyer up here an' let him show his brands as they're marked down on that paper afore he's ever had a chance to see the brands on your mules, an' ef the brands he's got marked down is the same as what's on them mules, why, it's a plain case that they must be his mules. Now, what do you say to that?"
Tom gave no sign that he was "onto their game," but merely said:
"Call your man up, but only him—no more."
Tucker rode out a few steps toward his gang and called: