Part 40 (1/2)
”No; or if I do, I will find it again.”
”That boy is more of a man now than Peabody will ever be,” said Miles, in a low voice to Ferguson.
”That he is,” said the Scotchman, who was a firm friend of our young hero. ”There is the making of a n.o.ble man in him.”
”I believe you.”
”I have no objection to your going, Tom,” said Fletcher; ”but it is better that you should have company. Who will go with the boy?”
”I,” said several, among them John Miles and Henry Scott.
”You may go, Scott,” said the leader. ”I have work for Miles at camp.
The sooner you get started the better.”
”All right, captain. Come along, Tom.”
The two were in the saddle before two minutes had pa.s.sed, and, guided by the trail, struck out upon the prairie.
Scott was a tall, broad-shouldered young farmer, not over twenty-five, strong and athletic, and reported, the best runner, wrestler, and vaulter in the party. Tom was very well pleased to have his company.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
INDIAN CASUISTRY.
”I should like to know when the horse got away,” said Scott, as he and Tom rode on side by side; ”then we could calculate how far we should have to go before overtaking him.”
”He wouldn't be likely to travel all the time, would he?” asked Tom.
”Probably not. He may have gone only a mile or two. Are your eyes good?”
”Pretty good.”
”Look about, then, and see if you can anywhere see anything of the rover.”
Scott and Tom, drawing rein, looked searchingly in all directions; but nowhere was the lost animal visible.
”Somebody may have found him,” suggested Tom.
”That may be. If so, we have a harder job before us.”
The prairie was not quite level, but was what is called a rolling prairie, and this limited the view. Otherwise it would have been easy for a person, whose sight was keen, to have distinguished an object as large as a horse at a distance of many miles.
”Are you sure we are on the right track, Mr. Scott?” asked Tom.
”Yes, I can see by the trail.”
”I can see no hoof-marks.”