“May I play, too?” Benjy heard himself asking. Babs nodded gaily, and while the three older girls went indoors to prepare a simple meal of cold corn bread, milk and fruit, Barbara and Benjy skipped about with the shouting little Indian children in a circle which was ever widening because of the arrival of other youngsters who were attracted from their dooryards by the sounds of merriment.
It was 2 o’clock before the riders, having said farewell to Winona and to the children, left the walled-in village and started on the long four-hours’ ride toward V. M.
Uncle Tex had seen them coming from afar. In fact, the old man had gone every hour to the window to look toward the sand hills to see if his Miss Virginia was returning. What joy there was in that faithful heart when the girl whom he so loved leaped from her horse and embraced him. “Dear Uncle Tex,” she said, “is there any news? Tell me quickly what has happened? Did Malcolm come this way?”
The old man nodded. “Yes, Miss Virginia, dear, but Mister Malcolm didn’t stop long, just to tell me what ’twas he planned doin’ and bid me keep a watchout fo’ yo’. Ah’s been that anxious, Miss Virginia, dearie, but Ah’ll feel better now, as yo’ are home again.” Then when the girls had gone to their rooms, the old man said in a low voice to Benjy; “Ah don’ want to worry the gals more’n need be, but Ah’s powerful anxious about Malcolm and yo’ brother, for they has gone to a mighty dangerous place. Ah knows the rustlers over the border and thar’s nothin’ as they’d stop at, but shh! Here come the gals. Make out as we was talkin’ of suthin’ else.” But Benjy’s anxiety had been greatly increased and though he did talk of something else, his thoughts were busily trying to contrive some way that he might leave the girls and ride to his brother’s assistance.
The young people had reached the ranch in the late afternoon and half an hour after their arrival Uncle Tex suddenly realized that it was nearing the supper hour and that probably the newcomers would be very hungry after their long hard ride and so he departed kitchenward to prepare the evening repast.
He had been gone only a few minutes, however, when he returned to the living-room, and, one glance at his face convinced the young people he had something to tell them which had greatly excited him.
“Horsemen a comin’. Like ’tis three or four,” he said. “Yo’ all can see them from the kitchen porch. Ah’s a hopin’ it’s Malcolm and the rest, but they’re too far off yet to be tellin’.”
With rapidly beating hearts the young people hurried to the high porch at the back of the house and Virginia gazed through the powerful glasses.
“Uncle Tex is right,” she said. “I see several dark objects moving in this direction and I am sure they are horsemen. Oh, how I do hope Tom is with them. I haven’t slept, that is, not restfully, since I knew that Tom was lost.”
Margaret, noting that Virginia looked pale and worn from days of anxiety, slipped an arm about her friend and led her back to the living-room.