“All right, then. We shall have to tighten up two or three times to-day.”
“Ready, boys?” cried the doctor. “That’s right. Now sling your guns. Are you loaded?”
“Yes, father—bullet in one barrel, shot-cartridge in the other.”
“Now then, mount. You follow us, and Griggs will bring up the rear.”
“That’s right,” said Chris in a whisper. “We can make him talk to us and tell us about how he got on when he was travelling before.”
The start was made, and as soon as the marshy part was cleared there was no need to ride in single file. The doctor allowed his two friends to come up abreast, and Griggs urged his pony forward to get between the boys.
“Here we are, then,” he said cheerily. “Now we can have a palaver.”
“About Indians,” said Ned eagerly.
“Indians? Not a bit of it. We don’t want any Indians. I say, nice thing to find when we get back that they had raided the camp and cleared off everything, mules and all.”
“Oh, I say, Griggs,” cried the boys together, “don’t! It would be horrible. Why, part of us ought to stop and guard the camp.”