"Have you found what you came out here for?" asked Butler.
"Surely I have," smiled the captain. "Haven't you?"
"I haven't found much of anything unless you mean that a couple of
horsemen crossed back there some few hours ago."
"How'd you know that?" exploded the captain.
"I saw the trail they left."
"Shake!" cried the captain leaning from his saddle. "You're the
alfiredest sharp youngster I've ever come up with. Oh, it's too bad
that you have to waste your talents in a city! Too bad, too bad!
You ought to be out here on the plains and in the mountains where
one's manhood counts for something."
"Did you come out to pick up that trail, sir?"
"That's what I came for, my boy. I reckoned those two fellows who got
after us in camp last night would take this trail and head for the
lower end of the mountain range. That's what they've done. This
trail proves that. Of course they may get sidetracked, but that's
their idea up to this point. I think we are safe in following our
original plans now."
Captain Billy did not say what those plans were, nor did Tad ask him.
They now turned about and started toward home at a slow jog trot,
riding side by side where the trail permitted and in single file
where it did not.
On the way back the captain asked Tad many questions about himself,
the members of his party and their experiences during their various
journeyings into the wilder parts of their native land.
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