“Not a thing, Lem,” Tom replied with a serious frown. “How many did they get?”
“Close to a hundred head, I reckon,” Lem declared viciously.
“By now they are across the border,” Virginia murmured. “Why did you look for them up here near the hills?”
“A couple of the boys went toward the border,” Lem’s partner answered. “We found a trail leadin’ up this way.”
“They didn’t pass near here or we would have seen them,” Virginia said again and her brother and Jim nodded in agreement.
“Then we got to be goin’ farther,” Lem said remounting his pony.
“But can’t you wait and have a bite of breakfast?” Tom wanted to know.
“Not now, son,” Lem replied. “We’ll eat a cold snack from our saddle bags. We want to find those birds before the trail is gone.”
“Wish you luck,” Jim sang out as the ponies darted forward.
“Who were they?” Phyllis asked as she, with Gale and Valerie, appeared.