"I scarcely understand, Hicks; do you mean you propose standing a
siege?"
"Don't clearly perceive nothin' else ter do," and the man's half-closed
eyes glanced about questioningly. "We ain't strong enough to assault;
Farnham 's got more 'n five men ter our one over thar right now. He 's
sent a rider inter San Juan arter another bunch o' beauties. We've
corralled the evidence, an' we've got ther law back o' us, ter send him
ter the penitentiary. Shore, thar's no doubt o' it. He knows it; an'
he knows, moreover, thar ain't no way out fer him except ter plant us
afore we kin ever git inter ther courts. Thet's his game jist now. Do
yer think Mr. Biff Farnham under them circumstances is liable ter do
the baby act? Not ter no great extent, let me tell yer. He ain't
built thet way. Besides, he hates me like pizen; I reckon by this time
he don't harbor no great love for you; an' yer bet he means ter git us
afore we kin squeal, if he has ter h'ist the whole damned mounting.
Anyhow, that's how it looks ter me an' Stutter yere. What was it you
was goin' ter advise, Mr. Winston?"
The engineer set down his tin coffee cup.
"The immediate despatching of a messenger to San Juan, the swearing out
of a warrant for Farnham on a criminal charge, and getting the sheriff
up here with a posse."
Hicks smiled grimly, his glance wandering over toward Stutter, who sat
staring open-eyed at the engineer.
"Ye're a young man, sir, an' I rather reckon yer don't precisely
onderstan' ther exact status o' things out yere in Echo Canyon," he
admitted, gravely. "I'm law-abidin', an' all that; law's all right in
its place, an' whar it kin be enforced, but Echo Canyon ain't Denver,
an' out yere ther rifle, an' occasionally a chunk o' dynamite, hes got
ter be considered afore ther courts git any chance ter look over ther
evidence. It's ginerally lead first, an' lawyers later. Thet 's what
makes the game interestin', an' gives sich chaps as Farnham a run fer
their money. Well, just now we 've got the law an' ther evidence with
us all right, but, damn ther luck, them other fellers hes got the
rifles. It 's his play first, an' it sorter looks ter me as if the man
knew how ter handle his cards. He ain't no bluffer, either. Just take
a squint through them glasses down the trail, an' tell me what yer see."
Winston did so, rising to his feet, standing at the edge of the rock
fairly overhanging the valley.
"Wal, do yer make out anythin' in partic'lar?"
"There is a small party of men clustered near the big boulder."
"Exactly; wal, them thar fellars ain't thar altergether fer ther
health. Thar 's three more o' ther same kind a'squattin' in the bushes
whar the path branches toward ther 'Independence,' an' another bunch
lower down 'side ther crick. It's easy 'nough ter talk about law, an'
ther sendin' o' a messenger down ter San Juan after the sheriff, but I
'd hate some ter be that messenger. He 'd have some considerable
excitement afore he got thar. Farnham 's a dirty villain, all right,
but he ain't no fool. He's got us bottled up yere, and ther cork druv
in."