"We really ought to bring Sag Ruff and his accomplice to justice," said Mark. "But I hate to lose time trying to do it."
"We can't afford to lose no time—if we are going to git over the Rocky Mountains afore cold weather sets in," said Maybe Dixon. "We want to hustle right along."
"Just what I've been thinking," said Si. "I'd hate most awfully to get caught in the mountains in freezing weather. Why, we'd be frozen stiff!"
"And maybe we'd lose our way," went on Maybe Dixon.
"All right then, let us hustle," answered Bob.
The hustling began the very next day, and continued uninterruptedly for over a week. They made excellent progress and were soon in the very heart of the mountains. It was cold and clear, and they saw some signs of snow, but it did not come.
The Sockets were traveling with them again. The boys had given them some of the venison and two prairie hens and in return Mrs. Socket made them some fresh bread and, on Sunday, a splendid loaf cake. She also cooked them a pot of good soup, which Si declared tasted more like "hum" than ever. The oldest Socket girl, named Mary, darned their stockings and also mended their underwear, which was a "real lift," as Maybe Dixon expressed it.
"I ain't no good with a thread an' needle an' never was," said the pioneer. "It takes me about an hour to git the thread in the needle, an' I never kin find the holes in a button when I want for to sew it on."
So far Darling had done exceedingly well and the boys agreed that a real prize had been gained by Bob in purchasing the animal. But when they were almost in the very heart of the Rockies the plucky little mule went lame, why nobody could exactly tell.
"He's got a rock sore, that's wot," said Josiah Socket. "Comes from walkin' on the rocks. He ought to be turned out into pasture fer a spell, then he'd be all right."