“By Jove!” he exclaimed, at length, as his eyes fell upon some spoor. “The schelms have gone, and they’ve not gone empty-handed.”
On counting the cattle his worst suspicions were verified. Four of his finest cows were missing, and there was no difficulty whatever in making out by the tracks that they had been driven off by his treacherous and defecting retainers. Payne swore a great oath.
“We’ll go after them!” he cried. “We’ll give them pepper. Hallo! There’s Marshall. He’s getting quite neighbourly.”
The countenance of that stalwart frontiersman evinced no surprise as, alighting from his nag, he learnt what had happened. He had come over to see how they were all getting on, and had also been making a little patrol on his own hook, he said.
“You’re just in the nick of time, Joe,” cried Payne. “You can come with us.”
“And are you going to leave the ladies here all alone?” replied Marshall. “I wouldn’t, if I were you.”
“I had thought of that, too,” said Claverton, quietly. “One of us must stay.”
“Then I will,” said Marshall. “If you fellers are determined to rush off, you’d better do so at once. Mind, I don’t think you’ll catch the beggars in any case; they’ve got a good start of you. And my old nag hasn’t got go enough in her for a raid into Kreli’s country just now.”
“Very well, then, that settles it,” said Payne. “It’s awfully good of you, Joe. We’ll get breakfast sharp, and then start. By the way, we’d better not tell the women where we’re going.”