men trained in the profession of the cowboys think and act quickly. within a half hour following their meeting with herbert watrous, the party were travelling the other way, and shortly after emerged from the hills, where the ground was perfectly level, and advantage could be taken of the faint moonlight which would soon aid them.
as soon as they were fairly out in the open country, the texans halted and sat motionless for a moment. they were listening for sounds which they heard not. then lattin slipped from the saddle and held his ear for a full minute pressed flat against the earth.
“it’s all right,” he remarked, swinging himself over the back of his pony. the three broke into a moderate gallop, riding almost abreast, for there was abundant room for them to do so.
[187]
it was about a mile from where the last change of direction took place that strubell drew his horse down to a walk and edged in as close as he could to the hills, his companions, of course, doing the same. it was apparent that he was looking for the “new route” that had been spoken of. herbert did all he could to aid, but when an abrupt change was made he saw no cause for it.
“that’s the reason why so few know about this,” explained the elder texan, after stating that they had struck the right spot; “if it was plain enough to be seen miles off, bell would have known all about it.”
“ard and me found it out by accident,” added lattin; “you observe how you turn here, just as if you was passing behind a door, before you hit the pass: that door hides it from the sight of anyone out on the prairie.”
the peculiar conformation had been noticed by herbert, who replied that he could not have noticed it at noonday.
“the queerest thing,” added lattin, “is that it’s just the same on the other side; if it wasn’t, the pass would have been found from[188] that direction; me and ard was chasin’ a couple of kioways one day that had stolen a horse, when they dodged in here and gave us the slip; that’s the way we hit it.”
an expert engineer could not have constructed a finer cut through the ridge—that is, for the present purpose. at no place was it more than a hundred or less than fifty feet in width, and the ground was so level that, had they chosen, their horses might have galloped the whole distance. there was little doubt that the ridge had been broken apart at this point by some terrific convulsion of nature, the opposite sides corresponding so perfectly that they would have dovetailed, could they have been pushed together.
this being the fact, a brief time only elapsed, when the three horsemen, whose sole purpose now was to overtake the party that was making off with nick ribsam, rode out upon the open plain beyond.
here was another brief halt, while the younger texan held his ear against the earth, the other neither moving nor speaking. he remained in his prone posture so long that it[189] was evident he had detected something. he must have caught a suspicious sound and was trying to locate it.
“it’s right ahead,” he said, as he once more climbed into the saddle, “and not fur off.”
since the movements were now based on the discovery of the younger cowboy, the elder dropped slightly back and joined herbert as an intimation that lattin had become the leader.
the latter kept his pony on a walk, and the youth was close enough to him to observe that he frequently turned his head in different directions, showing that he was looking and listening with the utmost care. all at once he drew rein and the others halted by his side.
“sh! you hear ‘em,” he whispered.
herbert noticed the stamp of a horse, as he judged it to be, which could not have been far in advance, though the night was so still that a slight sound could be heard a long way. he was tempted to ask whether it was not true that if they could discover others close by, the[190] strangers had the same chance of learning about them, but he was sure his friends understood themselves too well to commit a blunder which he would detect.
without another word between the men the younger let himself silently to the ground and moved forward in the gloom. it seemed to the youth that he showed rashness by this act, for, instead of crouching over and stealing along, step by step, he remained erect and walked with his ordinary gait, except perhaps he lifted and set down his feet more lightly.
it need not be said, however, that baker lattin understood what he was doing, and, when at the end of a few minutes he came back, he brought the very news which strubell expected and which confirmed the theory formed by the cowboys.
the three pack horses belonging to the americans were less than two hundred yards distant. a couple were lying down while the third was cropping the grass. no person was nearer than the owners, so that it was proven that they had been left there by bell rickard and his companion to be picked up by jim-john[191] and brindage, who were to follow them at a more leisurely pace.
the animals were not picketed, for they were not likely to wander beyond easy reach during the few hours that must elapse before the rear guard could come up with them. their loads had been placed on the ground and their bridles removed, so that they were free to wander whither they chose.
the tidings were pleasing to our friends, who were thus given the means of procuring what they were sure to need before reaching the end of their journey. strubell brought forth the blankets, extra suits for stormy weather, and a goodly number of articles that insured comfort for a good while to come.
it seemed odd that after recovering their animals and property the texans should coolly turn them over to the thieves, but the reader will see that it was the only thing to be done. rickard and slidham had abandoned them for the sake of speed, and for their pursuers to take them up would be to handicap themselves in the same fatal fashion.
the fugitives, as they may be called, had[192] got what they wanted from the pack horses, and, when strubell and lattin did the same, the loads were much lightened.
it was, therefore, without the slightest hesitation that, after procuring their supplies, our friends resumed their advance, leaving the couple among the hills to explain by what means the texans had flanked them.
strubell had hopes of overtaking rickard and slidham before daylight, his belief being that they would go into camp after riding a number of miles. they had been in the saddle so continuously during the last few days, it would seem they ought to need rest as much as their animals, but as the darkness wore on without sight or sound of them, he and lattin agreed that the scamps were pushing their horses to the utmost.
the pursuers were also pressing their animals hard, and to a higher degree than they would have done under other circumstances, but the texans showed an eagerness to reach the other party that caused herbert alarm. he was certain there must be a cause for this haste which they refused to explain to him.
[193]
at long intervals one of the men resorted to the usual test of placing his ear to the ground with the hope of catching the sounds of footsteps. once he stated that he heard something of the kind, and for a half hour they believed they were coming up with the company in front. it proved, however, that some kind of animals were moving across the country that were not likely to be those they were seeking.
to settle the question the pursuit was forced, and they overtook a couple of mavericks or stray cattle. one of them was turned to account, for strubell shot it, and the party went into camp.
it was high time they did so, for their ponies were worn out and they themselves were tired and sleepy. enough fuel was found to start a fire, over which a good meal was prepared, sufficient being cooked and laid aside to allow them to keep up the pursuit for a couple of days without stopping for food.
the fear of herbert watrous was that a mistake had been made by his friends who had wandered from the trail, but when daylight[194] dawned, and the texans made an investigation, they found they were right. rickard and slidham were following the very course named by them—that is, in the direction of new mexico.
“it looks as if it’s going to be a long chase,” said strubell; “but unless something unexpected happens we shall win.”
