"Oh, I could spare you now better than later on. But—but what, Hiram?"
"And I'd like to borrow Babe and your saddle and bridle, too."
"Take them," she said confidently. "Whatever your mysterious disappearance means, I know I can trust you."
Half an hour afterward Hiram swung himself into Jo's big California saddle, and then leaned over and spoke to Blink Keddie and Heine Schultz, busy at harnessing the teams.
"I don't know when I'll be back, boys," he said. "But remember what I told you: Don't let Jo out of your sight in the pass—nor anywhere else, for that matter—and keep your guns handy all the time."
"Don't worry, Gentle Wild Cat!" Schultz assured him.
"So long, then," said Hiram, and swung Babe into the road that connected Ragtown with the line of camps which dotted the desert from end to end.