rustler is chased out of this part of the country,” Adrian told him, sternly.
Billie looked out toward the spot where that little cloud of dust was seen.
“They’ve stopped now,” he observed; “and since the dust has cleared away you can see quite a bunch of riders sitting there in their saddles. Seems like they might be talking it over, and laying plans.”
“It promises to be a warm night, unless all signs fail,” remarked Donald, with a significant nod out in the direction where they could see the distant figures of a good many riders.
“Come along with me, fellows,” Adrian said just then.
“Where you agoing, Ad?” queried Billie, who seemed to be possessed of a sudden suspicion that the other might have some wild scheme in view such as riding out toward the rustlers, as if to brave them; “it’s nigh supper time, you must remember, and then besides, I’ve got a skinned knee, so that riding don’t appeal as much to me as it might.”
“Oh! I didn’t want you to jump on your cayuse, Billie,” laughed the other; “but as it promises to be a pretty lively night for us, I thought we’d only be wise if we walked around the corrals again, so’s to get the lay of the ground in our heads. A little knowledge like that comes in handy when you want to move around after dark sets in; and if you look above you’ll see the clouds are gathering, which I
take it means we’re going to have little light to work by from up there.”
“Reckon now I might toddle along after you fellows,” Billie admitted; “leastways I’ll do the best I can. Didn’t tell you how I come by that same bruised knee, did I? Well, it’s a joke—that is, seems like one to me now, but at the time let me say I was the worst scared fellow you ever knew.”
“Suppose you tell us about it?” proposed Adrian.