“Sure I’m willing,” said Billie, “and tell the rurales to hurry up or we’ll capture the whole bunch.”
The matter having been thus decided, Pedro and Donald returned to the house, taking the captured peon with them, while the other three hitched their horses and proceeded to the little point of land from which Adrian made his observation.
The morning was now far spent, and the sun was rapidly approaching the meridian; but for once Billie seemed to have forgotten that it was dinnertime. In fact, so interested was he in the adventure, that he seemed utterly oblivious of the sun itself, which beat down fiercely upon the trio, and
made the shade almost a necessity. So interested was he, in fact, that he ventured to the very edge of the point, and peered eagerly in the direction of the great rock.
“I could almost swim around there,” he said to himself. “I’ve a great notion to do it.”
For a minute he stood undecided.
“If it wasn’t for my Marlin I would,” he mused. “As it is, I guess I’d better go around.”
He walked back toward the place where he had left the others, all the time looking for a place where he could get around behind the big rock.
“What are you looking after?” queried Adrian, as Billie passed the spot where he sat with his eyes glued on the river.
“I want to see what is the other side of that rock.”