Sanderson had seen the oncoming riders, but he attached no importance to their appearance, for cowpunchers often rode in groups to some outlying camp, and these men might belong to some ranch in the vicinity.
There was a straight stretch of hard, smooth trail in the center of the valley, and Sanderson made Streak take it with a rush.

Sanderson grinned grimly as he heard the other men coming close behind him--they were as eager as he, and as vengeful.
Up out of the valley went Streak, running with long, smooth leaps that gave no indication of exhaustion; Sanderson patted his neck as he raced upward out of the valley and into the defile where they had seen the riders.
Sanderson was halfway up the defile when he was assailed with the thought that by this time--even before this--they should have met the other riders--had the latter kept the trail.
Struck by a sudden suspicion that there was something strange about the disappearance of the riders, Sanderson abruptly pulled Streak up.

The other men were some distance behind, and Sanderson slipped out of the saddle to give Streak a breathing spell.
The movement saved his life, for his feet had hardly struck the ground when he heard the thud of a rifle bullet, the sharp crash of the weapon, and saw the leaden missile rip the leather on the cantle of the saddle.
As though the shot were a signal, there followed others--a ripping, crashing volley.

Sanderson saw the smoke spurts ballooning upward from behind some rocks and boulders that dotted the hills on both sides of the defile, he saw several of his men drop from their horses and fall prone to the ground.
He shouted to the men to leave their horses and "take cover," and he himself sought the only cover near him--a wide fissure in the wall of the long slope below the point where the attackers were concealed.
Streak, apparently aware of the danger, followed Sanderson into the shelter of the fissure.
It was an admirable spot for an ambuscade.

Sanderson saw that there were few places in which his men could conceal themselves, for the hostile force occupied both sides of the defile.