CHAPTER XXVI. EBEN SHOWS HIS COLORS.
"Say, pilgrim, have you seen a boy dressed in store clothes, and carrying a rifle in his hands, pass along the trail this morning?" inquired the horseman.
The concealed runaway, who had taken care to leave a little opening among the quilts, so that he could hear all that was said, trembled violently as the familiar tones fell upon his ear.
It was the hunter, sure enough. He held his breath in suspense, while he waited for the emigrant's reply.
"Nary boy," drawled the man. "There aint nobody passed this camp since sundown last night."
"Then he must have left the trail and taken to the grass," said Eben. "I've missed him somewhere, but I'll find him if I have to hunt the whole country over."
"Has he been a-doing of anything?"
"I should say he had. He stole over three hundred dollars out of my saddle-bags early this morning."
The exclamations this statement called forth from the emigrant and his wife made Frank tremble again.
What if they should take it into their heads to believe Eben's story instead of his own? The emigrant's next words, however, put him somewhat at his ease.
"Well, I aint seen him go past here," said he. "What do you reckon you'll do with him if you ketch him?"
The hunter did not answer the question in words. He drew his revolver and held it off at arm's length, as if he were taking aim at something, at the same time digging his heels into the sides of his horse, which sprang away at the top of his speed.
When Eben was out of sight, the emigrant stepped upon the wagon-tongue and called to Frank:
"Look here, neighbor," he exclaimed, "that man says you robbed him! How is that?"
"There isn't a word of truth in it," replied Frank. "He never had his hands on the money I've got in my pocket. Did you take a good look at him? Well, now take a good look at me, and make up your mind which of us you would rather believe."
"There's something in that," said the emigrant. "You look like an honest boy, and I hope you be. You'd best stay in there a spell, I reckon. That feller may come back after a while, and if he gets his eye on you, I am afraid it will go hard with you. I'll hand you in a bite to eat."
The emigrant stepped down from the wagon-tongue, and when he came back again, he placed in Frank's hand a tin plate, containing a piece of bacon and corn-bread, and a quart cup filled with coffee. He and his family ate their breakfast while seated around the fire.
When the meal was over, the mules were hitched to the wagon, the woman and her children climbed in, and the emigrant mounted his seat and drove off.
They had not been on the trail more than two hours before Frank, who was constantly on the watch, discovered Eben coming back. The instant he caught sight of him he made a dash for his hiding-place, and the emigrant and his wife covered him up with the quilts.
There was no need of all this trouble, however, for the hunter never looked toward the wagon as he galloped by, and only shook his head sullenly when the emigrant asked him if he had found the boy of whom he was in search.
Frank's adventures on the plains were now ended. For a few hours he was extremely nervous and uneasy, and always sought his hiding-place whenever a horseman wearing a military overcoat made his appearance on the trail behind them; but Eben was a good many miles away, and it was a long time before Frank heard of him again.
He remained with the hospitable emigrant until they arrived at one of the stations of the Overland Stage Company, and there he took leave of him and his family, after presenting the man with his rifle, according to promise, and secured a seat in a coach bound for Atchison.
Having seen him fairly on his way toward home, we will bid him good-by for the present, and return to Leon, whom we left fast asleep on his blanket.
When Frank had been gone a little more than an hour, and the first gray streaks of dawn were beginning to make their appearance in the east, Eben suddenly sat up and looked about him.
After stretching his arms and yawning, he arose and mended the fire; and it was while he was thus engaged that he discovered Frank's bed was empty.
He looked toward the place where the horses were staked out, and saw that they were all there, but he noticed that Frank's rifle and overcoat were gone, and his suspicions were aroused at once.
Stepping quickly to Leon's side, he seized him by the shoulder and shook him roughly.
"Pilgrim! pilgrim!" he shouted, in stentorian tones. "Wake up here! That pardner o' your'n 's skipped!"
Leon was wide awake in an instant. He looked toward Frank's bed, and, uttering an exclamation of alarm, caught up his saddle-bags, unbuckled one of the flaps, and thrust his hand into the pocket.
Everything that ought to have been there was there except the article of which he was in search.
He tumbled the contents of both pockets on the ground, tossed them in all directions, but the little round package, wrapped in a piece of newspaper, was not to be found.
"It's gone!" gasped Leon, his hands falling helplessly by his side.
"You don't mean the money?" cried the hunter, whose excitement was fully equal to Leon's.
"Yes, I do mean the money," replied the boy, who felt like yelling with indignation. "It beats me how he got it, for I have kept a close watch over it ever since he told me that he wanted to go home. There were more than three hundred dollars in that roll, too."
The hunter muttered something that sounded very much like the heaviest kind of an imprecation.
"You're a nice one to have money!" said he angrily. "Why didn't you keep it in your pocket?"
"Because I was afraid it would work out and get lost. Where are you going?" said Leon, as the hunter turned and ran toward his horse.
"I'm going to have that money back," said Eben, in savage tones. "He can't be far off, for he hasn't been gone long enough to put many miles between him and us. He was in his bed the last time I fixed the fire, and fast asleep, too, for I saw him. If I come up with him, he'll never steal any more money, I bet you!"
"Don't be too hard on him," said Leon, who did not like the expression he saw in his companion's face. "He is my cousin, you know."
"I don't care if he's the President's cousin! We make short work of thieves in this country. You stay and watch the camp until I come back."
Eben put the saddle and bridle on his horse in a remarkably short space of time, and, springing upon his back, galloped away, paying no heed to Leon's repeated request that he would not harm Frank if he succeeded in overtaking him.
"I am really afraid that boy has got himself into a box," thought Leon, as he settled back on his hard bed. "I never saw a man in such a rage as Eben is. He takes a good deal of interest in my affairs, but I hope he'll not let his zeal carry him too far. Frank has got me into a box, too, for if I should grow tired of life in the mountains, and conclude to go back to the States, how am I to get there?"
The indignation Leon felt when he first discovered that his money had been stolen, had given away to a feeling of uneasiness.
He was certain that Eben would overtake his cousin. A boy on foot could not possibly escape from a man on horseback, especially on the plains, and if he would simply bring him back and hand over the three hundred dollars, all would be well; but he was afraid that the angry hunter might take it into his head to punish Frank in some way.
He felt the loss keenly, but he was not troubled concerning the future.
Eben had told him that the traders, who were located at the various posts during the winter, were in the habit of furnishing supplies on credit to responsible hunters and trappers, who would bind themselves to sell their furs to no one but the man of whom the supplies were obtained.
So the loss of his money would not prevent him and Eben from spending a few months in the mountains, as they had intended to do.
But still he wanted funds to use, in case of emergency, and he hoped that Eben would succeed in overtaking Frank.
Leon did not cook any breakfast, for he could not have eaten a mouthful if he had tried; his anxiety and suspense were too great.
He spent four hours in walking back and forth between the camp-fire and the trail, and presently he saw Eben coming back.
The expression his face wore when he rode up made Leon afraid to speak to him. It was evident that he had had his trouble for his pains.
While the boy was wondering how Frank could have effected his escape, the hunter dismounted, and walking over to the place where the two mustangs were staked out, he cut the lariats with which they were confined, and set them at liberty.
This done, he hurried into the camp, and, without saying a word, proceeded to gather up all the articles Frank had left behind, as well as those belonging to Leon.
He picked up the saddle-bags, all the blankets, the meal-bags which contained the boys' clothing, and threw them across the neck of his horse.
After balancing them so that they would not fall off, he came back and picked up Leon's double-barrel, and also the powder-flask and shot-pouch belonging to it.
"What are you going to do?" asked the boy, who had watched the singular movements with surprise, not unmingled with alarm.
"I am off for the mountains," answered Eben in sullen tones. "I have the best notion in the world to knock you over before I go for not keeping that money in your pocket where it belonged."
"But what are you taking my horse for? If you are going to the mountains, why can't I go with you?"
The hunter made no reply. He sprang upon the back of his own horse and galloped away, followed by the liberated mustangs, and leaving Leon standing beside the fire, almost overwhelmed with astonishment and terror.