Wyatt and the group he guarded were considered claim jumpers and were confronted by armed representatives of the other company. King wrote, "It was the nerviest thing he had ever seen." With guns pulled, Wyatt came out of his tent with a Winchester rifle, firing a round at the feet of Federal Receiver Stafford W. Austin. "Back off or I'll blow you apart, or my name is not Wyatt Earp." The owners summoned the U.S. marshal, who arrested Earp and 27 others, serving them with a summons for contempt of court, sending them home. Earp's actions did not resolve the dispute, which eventually escalated into the "Potash Wars" of the Mojave Desert.
