“Well, supposing then, we turned these rustlers loose about the time we started, and gave ’em to understand we’d shoot the first fellow we saw dodging after us, what d’ye s’pose they’d be apt to do in that case? Why, make a bee-line for where they could find another batch of their breed, and fetch the whole gang awhooping after us. We might find a dozen or two tough punchers closing in on us long before we could get to the Bar-S Ranch buildings. How’s that?”
“Say, there’s a whole lot in what you say, Billie,” admitted Donald, thoughtfully.
“And it’s got to be threshed out while we sit here,
too,” added Adrian. “I’ve a plan in mind right now that might fill the bill.”
“Then for goodness’ sake let’s hear it!” begged Billie, eagerly.
“When we leave here in the morning we won’t untie the rustlers at all, only one fellow, who can accompany us on our ride,” pursued the owner of the ranch from which the cattle in the coulie had been stolen and stampeded.
“But hold on,” remarked tender-hearted Billie, “wouldn’t it be kind o’ cruel to leave the lot here, tied hand and foot? What if nobody came along, and they had to just roll around here all the time? Say, it’s _aw_ful to get hungry, and as for me I wouldn’t want my worst enemy to be kept from his feed for even one whole day. I can’t imagine any suffering so terrible; and you wouldn’t think of trying such punishment even on cattle rustlers, would you, Adrian? They’re human after all, even if they are bad men.”
“You didn’t let me finish what I was going to say, Billie,” observed the ranch boy, quietly. “Didn’t you hear me tell how we’d take one of them along on his pony, picking out the meekest of the bunch, if there’s any choice about that, so we can make him help drive the cattle, and one of us could keep close to him all the time.”
“Yes, yes, go on, please, Ad, I’m following you,” said the fat chum.
“When we had gone far enough, miles and miles from here, so that we knew we’d soon strike the ranch buildings,” continued Adrian, “why, then we could turn him loose, and let him gallop back here to set his pards free.”