He saw the smoke of three cabins nestling
in snug coves, but it was a full three hours before he met anybody else
in the road. Then he saw two men riding toward him, but he could not
tell much about them as they were wrapped in heavy gray shawls, and wore
broad brimmed felt hats, pulled well down over their foreheads.
Dick knew that he could not exercise too much caution in this debatable
land, and his right hand dropped cautiously to the butt of his pistol
in such a manner that it was concealed by his heavy overcoat. His left
hand rested lightly on the reins as he rode forward at an even pace.
But he did not fail to take careful note of the two men who were now
examining him in a manner that he did not like.
Dick saw that the strangers openly carried pistols in their belts,
which was not of overwhelming significance in such times in such a
region, but they did not have the look of mountaineers riding on
peaceful business, and he reined his horse to the very edge of the road
that he might pass them.
He noted with rising apprehension that they checked the pace of their
horses as they approached, and that they reined to either side of the
road to compel him to go between them. But he pulled his own horse out
still further, and as they could not pass on both sides of him without
an overt act of hostility they drew together again in the middle of the
road.
"Mornin' stranger," they said together, when they were a few yards away.
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