After ten minutes of hard riding, it became evident that the boys were gaining, and as the thieves and their booty plunged into the ford, the boys
were rapidly approaching the river at the place they had picked out to cross.
Then for the first time the pursuers saw why it was that the thieves had chosen a crossing so far downstream.
For just a moment they drew rein, seeing which the natives gave a shout of derision as they, too, slackened their pace and rode more leisurely toward the mountains.
But again the thieves had reckoned without their host, for, in another minute the boys put spurs to their horses and dashed toward the stream, even higher up than they had first aimed. Billie had discovered a narrow place, and had made a suggestion to Donald, which they determined to carry out.
At the spot which Billie had discovered the stream was about thirty feet from bank to bank. Billie’s suggestion was that they make the horses jump it.
It was a dangerous suggestion, because the very narrowness of the stream made the current at this point exceedingly swift. How deep it was neither of the boys had the slightest idea; they did know, however, that it was necessarily the deepest spot on the whole plain. But this did not deter them. They had made up their minds to head off the thieves, and such a small thing as a thirty-foot leap over a raging torrent of water was not to be considered.
So surprised were the men whom they were pursuing, that for the time they forgot their herd and riveted their attention upon the boys, not for a moment expecting them to try to cross when once they approached near enough to the stream to know the actual condition.
But, never flagging, almost neck and neck, Wireless and Jupiter dashed toward the narrow spot.
As they drew nearer, both boys saw that the stream was wider than they had thought, and swerved just a moment from their course.