"That's where I reckon they're goin', as I told you; an' my advice would be for you to go straight to Brazos, without stoppin' on the way, an' when they get there you'll be all ready to take 'em in. See?"
"Yes, I see," answered Bob, "and it's something worth thinking of.—Forward, column left! Trot! gallop!"
The troopers moved rapidly away from the cabin, and, to the intense surprise and indignation of all his followers, who thought that their corporal had been deceived by the squatter, Bob led them off toward the old Brazos trail. At length one of them ventured to remonstrate.
"Corporal," said he, "you're going wrong."
"I know it," answered Bob.—"Carey, tell us what you saw in that cabin. Were our suspicions correct?"
"Indeed they were," was Carey's reply. "In the first place, that stove was all right, but the squatter didn't want us to use it, for Bryant was hiding in the cabin. He was lying on the floor, covered up with a blanket."
"How do you know it was Bryant?" asked Bob. "Did you see his face?"
"No, I didn't; it was concealed by the blanket. I saw his feet," said Carey; and his answer was received by the troopers with a sigh of satisfaction. It was all that was needed to establish the identity of the man who had taken refuge in the squatter's cabin.
"I didn't think I could be wrong," observed Bob, "for that man condemned himself before we had been in his presence ten minutes."
"Why don't you go back and snatch Bryant?" demanded one of the troopers, seeing that the corporal did not slacken his pace. "Why didn't you do it while we were at the cabin?"