"HE STOOD TO HIS FULL HEIGHT ON THE SADDLE,
ONE HAND OVER HIS EYES TO SHADE THEM FROM THE LIGHT"
"It was nothing, señor," he said when Dudley walked out to question him. "I thought I saw a horseman come from the trees, and so clambered to my feet. But there was no one there. I must have caught sight of a shadow. The señor may feel sure that there is none on the edge of the forest, for had he been there I should certainly have seen him."
Within an hour they sat down to their evening meal, and, soon afterwards, darkness having fallen, they lay down. On the outskirts of the camp four silent figures rode to and fro for all the world as if the camp were settled for the night, and as if the little party had no intention of moving till the sun had risen once again above the waving pampas. But the stillness of the place lasted for one short hour only. Then Pepito rose, called gently to the men, and led the way to the horses. In three minutes all were mounted and ready, while Dudley and Harold conversed in low tones with the young gaucho who led the men.
"We shall divide now into two parties," said Dudley. "Pepito will take half the men and ride to the left. We shall take the other half and make to the right. An hour before dawn we shall return to this spot, and, once we are all here, we shall ride away to our own estancia. That is clear, I think?"
"As daylight," whispered Harold.
"The señor's words leave no room for doubt. We divide now?"
"At once," answered Dudley.
They joined the men immediately, divided them in silence into two groups, and in a moment they had separated, each party sweeping away from the other and riding in a direction which would take them to that dark line of forest which separated Mr. Blunt's holding from the neighboring estancia.
What if Dudley and his friends had known that while they lay in their camp that evening a band of silent men, led by a short and repulsive-looking individual, had ridden from the tumble-down house located on the estancia beyond the forest, and had slowly and cautiously entered the trees? And that is what had actually happened. For no sooner had our hero and his little party ridden away out of sight, than the owner of this neighboring rancho had sent two of his ruffians to follow and watch, and in the evening he came, together with several others, to join them in the forest where they had halted. It was one of these horsemen whom Dudley's scout had seen. It was no fancy on his part, and no mere shadow had deceived his keen eyes. For men were there, a band of ruffians armed to the teeth, and waiting only for the word of their leader to ride down upon the peaceful camp outside on the pampas and murder every one sleeping there.