"Something must have made the new-comers fear to attack them after all," said Green. "They must have been as afraid of the others as t'others was of them! Did you ever know such a thing?"
"And we've been just as bad," said Cyril in a tone of disgust, "for we've been running away from nobody at all!" He sat down dejectedly on a sandhill.
"Three parties all running away from each other, without ever stopping to look round! Well, that was mighty queer," cried Green.
"You were wrong about them being men in pursuit of you and your friends," said Cyril.
"I was indeed. They weren't after us at all. They must have been just quiet, peaceable travellers who heard the firing, and, being alarmed, made off back again as fast as they could!"
"Well, they saved us, anyway," said Cyril.
"Yes, that's true enough."
"But how shall we get on without a horse?"
"Poor Jack!" sighed Green. "Captain gave him to me because I was the means of his getting a whole lot——" he stopped abruptly. "What a rascal I've been!" he reflected.
"I'm ravenously hungry," said Cyril.