His only recourse was to make the operation go as smoothly as he possibly could. They would move in swiftly and occupy the mine shack before the Powers were fully awake. They would be calm and professional, not throwing down on the Powers and starting a fight but letting them know that they had the upper hand and that there was no use resisting. He was pretty sure the boys would come quietly. He wasn't so sure about the Old Man. Jeff Power was stubborn and bent on making his fortune with this mine. The Old Man was a tough old bird, and taking his boys or his mine would not be easy. McBride's misgivings about this whole episode were surfacing again. Quick and easy, he thought. Quick and easy was what was needed here. They could do it that way.

The way out of Rattlesnake Canyon was easier than the way in. The road rose slowly, winding around hills and outcroppings of the canyon until it reached the summit of Rattlesnake Canyon under Kielberg Peak at 6,900 feet. Then the slow turn to the right and the descent into Kielberg Canyon.

They started down, hugging the right side of the canyon wall, descending at a slow but even pace. It was less than a mile and a half to the mine. They rode for a couple hundred rods, then dismounted. The sun was not yet up, but the sky was steadily lightening. They could make out the outlines of trees and rocks now. Wootan led the way, with McBride and Kempton behind him. Haynes brought up the rear.

Wootan slowed and turned in his saddle. He held the palm of his left hand up, questioning whether it was time to dismount and start walking the horses down the road until they could find a place to tie them and continue on foot. McBride nodded but saw that Wootan could not pick that up in the dim light, so he swung down from his horse, and the others stopped and dismounted as well.

“How far?” McBride asked Wootan.

“Hundred rod. More or less. Maybe less.”

“Tie up here? Walk the rest of the way?”

“There's a small spring pool down there. We could leave the horses there. It's a ways from the cabin. No one would hear us.”

“Unless they're up and about.”

“Then,” Haynes said, “let's get on it.”

“Marshal,” Wootan said, “dibs on the mine.”

“Shut up.”