Pluck on the Long Trail

; and out he rolled, in a hurry. He didn't

ouldn't and only the hole is there. And those t

an to pull on his

e camp,"

aid: "I slept on guard and the

r anything; and I didn't have a single sol

here the burros had stood, because we all from both camps had been roaming around. But the general and Fitz and Major Henry circled, wider and wider, watching out for burro tracks pointing back down the trail, or else out into the timber. The hoofs of the burros wou

ee stay here," said General Ashley. "If we don't come back by morning, or if you don't

make good on the trail. It was better than if he'd order

lankets, but we took no blankets, for we must travel light. We stuffed some bread and chocolate into our coat pockets, and we were certain that we had matches and knife. I took the short bow and arrows, as game getter; but we left the rifle for t

why we traveled light; for you never can follow a trail as fast as it was made, and we must overt

and eat on the march, and

nd deer tracks; they are small and oblong-narrow like a colt's hoof squeezed together or like

he said. "The burros' tracks

ied. An

e burro tracks; and I think that they're all on the trot, too, by

pace, which is trotting an

d Fitz. "There aren't any sole track

't overrun or get ambushed. Where the sun shone we could tell that the sign was still an hour or more old, because the edges of the hoof-marks were baked hard; and sticks and stones turned

a trot so much. Maybe they thought that we had been left, by this time. Pretty soon the burros had been grabbing at branches and weeds, which showed that they were going slower, and were hungry; and the fellows had got off and were walking. The sun was high and the air was dry, so that the signs we

a great rolling valley, of short grasses and just a few scattered trees, with long slo

ey are, General-in a line between

sneaked to the rocks, and were looking, we could make out two spe

p to the trail across that open valley. Some fellows might have rushed right along; and if the other fellows were sharp they would be looking

we crossed the valley higher up, where it was narrower and there was brush for cover. This took time, but i

we hadn't stopped to eat, and we we

gn that we climb straight to the top of the slope and follow along there, to strike the trail. And if t

path led through, where cattle had traveled, and in the damp

no use to rush them when they were traveling; they had guns and would hang on to the burros. The

ew was grand. Pilot Peak stood up in the wrong direction, as if we had been going around, and mountains and timber were everywhere. I saw the smoke. And away to the north, ten miles, it seem

the trees down in a little park about a quarter of a mile o

ed cautiously, and could smell the smoke stronger and stronger; we began to stoop and to

e better if we had stalked from three directions. Everything was very quiet, and when we could see where t

we wriggled along and looked through. There was a fire, and our flags stuck beside it, and Sally and Apache standing tied to a bus

grab the flag, and I a burro and the general a burro,

nd other tricks we would outwit those t

nd in we darted. Fitz grabbed the flag, and I was just hauling at Sally while the general slashed the picket-

of them were the two kids Bat and Walt, and the other six were town fello

, and they all had ambushed us. We ought to have reconnoitered more, instead of thinking about stalking. We ought to have been more suspicious, and not have underestimated the enemy. (Not

llers were Scouts!" je

the credit righ

d General Ashley, of Bill Duane. "W

to skin you, and then we're going to burn you

and Kit Carson and Jed Smith wouldn't know exactly what to do and we'd be wasting valuable time. That was the worst: we were delayi

the main camp Bill Duane walked up to General As

?" answered G

we untie you will you fork it ove

give it to you. But you'd better untie us, just

ellows," said Bill. "He's got

im tight, and Bill Duane went through him. He didn't find the message in any pockets; but he sa

t in his o

"Now what you goin

looked as if he wanted to fight or cry. Fitz was

give us a chance to do anything. You're a lot of cowar

E WENT THR

ough for us. I tell you, it was humiliating, to be bound that way, as prisoners, and to think that we had fai

uddenly I heard horse's hoofs, and down the bridle path that led along an edge of t

matter her

in a twinkling. They

'," sai

? What's the rump

ing us, and they've got our burros and f

horse with a K Cross on its right shoulder, and the saddle had brass-bound stirrups. H

ssage?"

e we were

he

our town to G

hy

for

for doing it on time. Now we cash it in ourselves," sp

ren't to be paid a cent-and

message now?"

the general, po

s see

backe

," he said. Whic

man. "I might like to make th

hat first lie. The first is the

aid, scared, and ba

f short; and he rode right for Bill. He stuck his face forward.

have known that he was a coward, by the lies he had tol

give it back to 'em. Here 'tis. There ain't no pr

ntie us and he'd pass it to us and tell us to skip. But after he had turned

said. And then he rode to one side, and dismounted; he loosene

. The gang had our flags and ou

h just for fun and for practice," called the

can or Spanish for "Good." He was s

give it to us and m

Don't bother

t, but they didn't make any effort to attack the man. They all were afraid of him; they didn't have nerve. They just grumbled and talked of wha

f his left shoe was worn through! And if he wasn't riding a roan horse, he was riding a saddle with brass-bound stirrups, anywa

us for all night, are y

" said

le not to try to escape,

t's

omise," I

ey all

aughed. "We know all

we give our parole we mean it. And if we decided to try to escape we'd

," said Bill; and I saw him

just walk, and that is all. And Walt (he and Bat were cooking) poked the fi

," sputtered the ge

e if we'd untie you," j

tied us u

if we'd untie you, so you could eat, you woul

ou know what we mea

t you said,"

man, from his own fire. "You m

lled Walt,

f to eat was messy, and the fellows all swore and talked as bad as they could. It was a shame-and it seemed a bi

d, and the rest lay around and smoked pipes and cigarettes. Over at his side of the little park

sat close about us. Then, they had the flags and the burros, and the man had the message; and if they had b

one of them. They had some dirty