Thus cautioned, the younger boy paused. The horses were tied up behind some brush, and, guns in hand, the pair crept across the road and over a wire fence into the field.
Hardly had they advanced a dozen steps when three men came out of the barn, leading four horses. They made for an opening in the fence not a rod from where the boys flung themselves flat on the grass.
From the description they had received, the lads made up their minds that the men were Saul Mangle, Darry Nodley, and Jeff Jones.
CHAPTER XVI.
An Encounter in the Dark
Chet and Paul could hardly suppress their excitement as they saw the horse thieves move toward the opening in the fence. Chet drew up his gun and pointed it at the leader.
"Don't fire! Wait!" cautioned Paul. "There are three of them, remember."
"I wonder where Dottery is?" questioned the younger boy, with his hand still on the trigger.
"Asleep, most likely."