That man, Pedro, must have had eyes like telescopes to pretend to distinguish any one at such a distance, but on examining the little black speck through the glass I made out that it was a horseman, and after watching him for a few seconds I concluded that it was indeed our friend, Arthur, returning.
"Frank!" cried my partner. "We must ride out to meet him at once! Pedro, you stay here and watch the Casa. If those three men come out, make a big smoke here so that we may know whether we have to hurry or not."
"It is good," replied the Mexican; and seeing that he might be relied upon to give us timely warning—for he at once began to collect materials for his fire—away we went.
Riding briskly, though without haste, we had left the mountain and were crossing a wide depression in the plain, when, on its further edge, there suddenly appeared the solitary horseman, riding toward us at a hard gallop. Dick turned in his saddle and cast a glance behind him.
"The smoke!" he cried; and without another word we clapped our heels into our ponies' ribs and dashed forward.
As Arthur approached—for we could now clearly see that it was he—we observed that he kept looking back over his left shoulder, and just as we arrived within hailing distance three other horsemen came in sight over the southern rim of the depression, riding at a furious pace, their bodies bent forward over their horses' necks. Each of the three carried a rifle, we noticed, and one of the three was Galvez.
At sight of us, the pursuers, seemingly taken aback at finding themselves confronted by three of us, when they had expected to find only one, abruptly pulled up. This brief pause gave time to Arthur to join us, when Dick, slipping down from his horse, advanced a few steps toward the enemy, kneeled down, and ostentatiously cocked his rifle.
Whether the padron's quick ears caught the sound of the cocking of the rifle—which seemed hardly likely, though in that clear, still atmosphere the sharp click-click would carry a surprisingly long distance—I do not know; but whatever the cause, the result was as unexpected as it was satisfactory. Galvez uttered a sharp exclamation, whirled his horse round, and away they all went again as fast as they had come.
"See that!" cried Arthur. "What did I tell you, Dick? We have to thank that locoed steer for that."
"I expect we have," replied Dick.