“I don’t understand you.”
“What! Didn’t you propose that I should begin plucking the turkey and sprinkling the feathers about as we go? Nice trail for the brutes to follow. Why, if they picked it up they’d come along at a gallop.”
“Yes,” said the doctor, who had heard a part of the conversation; “we shall have to be very cautious till we get right away from the district the Indians haunt.”
The night was coming on fast, for the twilight which had followed the disappearance of the sun was brief; but as the evening passed away, the moon which had looked pale and wan began to grow more and more silvery, till it was dazzling in the pure bright air, casting the riders’ shadows on the rustling grass and making their way easy.
The stars were beginning to glitter too, and pool after pool was passed which looked as if it were dotted with points of light.
It was a glorious ride, and not without incident. Wherever there was water the fowl which frequented the marshy pools could be heard feeding, and the wild cries of the animals which haunted the far-spreading plain came frequently to the ear, while the sharp yelping barks, or the long, low-drawn wails like those of jackals and the dismally weird snapping shout of the prairie wolf came plainly from far away where the salt bush was known to be plentiful.
Every now and then too some owl came hawking by on silent wing, fixing its great eyes upon one or other of the party as it swooped past. Twice over Griggs paused in doubt as to their course, for the crushed-down grass trampled by the ponies was at times hard to trace in the moonlight; but he was not long in picking up the trail again, and at last the camp was reached, with everything looking just as it had been left that morning, while the mules were still grazing, apparently as hungry as ever, though a little closer observation proved they were picking and choosing amongst the youngest and juiciest twigs.
“Hah!” sighed Ned, dropping wearily from his pony. “Now for a good fire and some of that turkey, Griggs.”
“Eh? Didn’t you hear what the doctor said just now when he came up alongside?”
“No,” said Ned anxiously; “what? That I was not to light the fire?”