"Another?" exclaimed Bart; upon which Merry explained how Bill had fired at him already.
"It was rather dangerous to stay there, and I couldn't resist when a pretty girl took enough interest in me to urge me to get away," Frank laughed. "We had some sport with our talking dog, and now——"
"You can't mean to ride far?"
"Remember the hut we passed on the way into town? It's not very far. We'll stop there to-night."
"Good!" said Bart; and they rode on.
Coming to the deserted hut, they stopped there. The horses were cared for, and Frank and Bart entered the hut with their blankets, where they prepared to sleep until toward morning, planning to rise before daybreak and get an early start, so that some distance could be covered ere the sun rose.
Both of the young men were weary, and they lost little time in drawing their blankets about them and rolling on the floor. Boxer curled in a corner and went to sleep. The door of the hut was left open to admit the cool night air.
Frank fell asleep at once, and Bart was not slow in following his example.
They were awakened in the middle of the night by a snarl, a cry, a struggle, and a fall. Both sat up, grasping their weapons.