“It’s a long ride to the ranch house,” Jim said, poking at the fire. “Best he could do would be sometime this afternoon.”
The girls said nothing but each felt a sinking of the heart at the big delay it meant. It would be hours yet before they could start looking for their comrades.
They had breakfast, consisting mainly of steaming hot coffee and warmed biscuits; but at that, they felt better, more cheerful, after a little food. They could look upon Gale’s and Val’s absence with more fortitude and confidence in the good fortune of their friends. Both absent girls were resourceful and quick-witted. Perhaps nothing serious had happened to them after all.
The girls were wondering what to do with themselves during the hours they must spend when the galloping of hoof beats was heard. Their hearts beat faster. Was it Tom and men from the ranch or--could it possibly be the bandits?
Chapter XIII
RESCUE
Darkness found Gale in much the same position she had occupied through the rainstorm, standing beside her horse and gently stroking his nozzle. The rain had stopped but she was uncomfortably wet. She wondered whether this was a climate where one caught colds easily. If so, she would probably have a dandy tomorrow. The horse shifted his feet impatiently and nudged her shoulder.
She smiled at him. “Impatient to be off, old boy? So am I. Something tells me that this is going to be a night of excitement. I wonder if I’m being foolhardy in spying on these fellows. I might be, you know,” she said seriously to the horse. He nodded his head as though in agreement. “Oh, so you think I’m foolhardy, do you? But on the other hand, I might be able to help Uncle. What do you think, old fellow?”
The horse shook his head and whinnied softly. “Please don’t do that,” she said hastily, a hand on his nose. “If you make such a noise you might bring those men out to investigate and that wouldn’t be lucky for either you or me.”
The stars came out and with them the moon. The bright moonlight made Gale frown in annoyance. Any other time she would have marveled at the white radiance of Mr. Moon, but now it was indiscreet. The cabin where she was to do her spying stood squarely in the center of a large patch of moonlight. There would be no skulking in darkness close to it. If she hoped to get close enough to peer in a window or to hear what was being said, she would not only have to cross that moonlit space but to stand in the white light, clearly visible to anyone coming to the cabin. Well, she had made up her mind what she wanted to do and now she was going through with it.
She wondered what her friends were thinking at her absence. She wished there was some way she could let them know she was safe and sound. But in an hour or two she would be on her way back to them with information that might be valuable. She wished she had a good supper, though. That was what ailed her horse too, he was hungry.