Part 19 (1/2)

”Perhaps they are having a brush with some Indians,” suggested another of the party. ”They may--h.e.l.lo, what's this coming along the trail? A white mustang, I declare, with a black blaze on his forehead. None o'

those greasers rode that animal, I'm certain on it.”

”A white mustang!” cried Amos Radbury, and then, as the animal came closer, he gave a start. ”It's the same, I declare!”

”The same?” queried Poke Stover. ”What do ye mean, leftenant?”

”That mustang belongs to me. I was trying to break him in when the call to arms came. He must have gotten away from my boys. But what is he doing away out here?”

That question could not be answered just then, and in another moment the white mustang was out of sight. Then, as the firing ahead had ceased, the movement forward was continued.

CHAPTER XVIII.

DAN COMES TO GRIEF.

”Well, this looks as if it was going to be a long-winded search.”

”So it does, Ralph; but you must remember that a wild mustang who had been shut up in a corral for a couple of weeks will feel very much like stretching his legs when he gets out.”

”We must have come at least eight miles.”

”It's nearer ten.”

”And we haven't seen the least sign of him.”

”Oh, yes, we have; we discovered that trail.”

”But we are not sure it was the mustang's.”

”I take for granted that it was, for I do not believe any other pony pa.s.sed this way since it rained.”

The boys had not gone on straight ahead, but in a grand semicircle, until the footprints mentioned had been discovered. Now they were riding over a broad patch of prairie land, with a belt of timber to the north and another to the south.

”I wonder if there are any Indians in the vicinity,” resumed Ralph, a while later. ”I won't care to fall in with some of those Comanches who made it so hot for us at the cabin.”

”Oh, they were chased a good many miles off, Ralph. Besides, they won't dare to show up here while they know that all of our best fighters are ma.s.sing between Gonzales and San Antonio.”

”I wonder how matters are going on at the front. I should think our army would march on Bexar without delay.”

”They don't want to make an attack until they are strong enough to overcome General Cos's force. He may have considerable reinforcements by this time.”

So the boys talked and rode until noon was pa.s.sed. Both were now hungry, and coming to a pool in the prairie surrounded by mesquite-trees and bushes, they drew rein and tethered their ponies, and sat down to enjoy the midday meal they had brought along.

Pompey had packed for them a tempting hamper, and the boys remained over the repast rather longer than antic.i.p.ated. The sun shone bright, and as there was no wind, the day was pleasant, even though late in the season.

”I suppose some day all this territory will be built up with towns and villages,” remarked Dan, as he dug his knife-blade into the earth in a meditative way. ”And when it is, I wonder if the boys of that generation will ever remember what a howling wilderness it was in our generation.”

”A few will, but not many,” laughed Ralph. ”We are too much of a go-ahead people to do much looking back.” The youngest Radbury leaped suddenly to his feet. ”What's that, Dan?”