“I may need the little I have for other purposes when I get out on the plains.”
“Sho! You’ll find more out thar than you ever dreamed of. You can walk up a ravine a little way from your father’s rancho an’ pick up nuggets of gold as big as you can tote.”
“But I don’t know how long it will be, or what I shall be obliged to pass through, before I get there,” replied Julian. “Another thing, Jack Bowles and his boys shall not have the satisfaction of using anything that belongs to me.”
“Wal, go ahead, then, if you’re so sot onto it, an’ I’ll be close by to lend a hand if you get into trouble.”
While this conversation was being carried on Julian and his companion were walking toward the cabin, and now they were close beside it. The boy at once pushed open the door and entered, while Sanders took his stand upon the steps where he could see all that went on.
There was a roaring fire on the hearth, and by the aid of the light it threw out Julian could distinguish every object in the cabin.
Almost the first things his eyes rested upon were the clothes of which he had been robbed, spread out on a couple of nail-kegs to dry. His rifle stood beside the bed in which Jake and Tom lay fast asleep, and his powder-horn and bullet-pouch hung from a nail over their heads. Walking across the floor with his ordinary step, and without taking the least pains to avoid arousing the occupants of the cabin, Julian took the horn and pouch down from the nail, and while slinging them over his shoulder discovered the other articles of which he was in search—his blankets, which were snugly tucked around the shoulders of the sleeping brothers.
“You are very good to yourselves, are you not?” said Julian aloud. “You leave me to freeze in the smoke-house, and make use of my property to keep yourselves warm. You’ll sleep colder for the rest of the night.”
As he said this he jerked the blankets off the bed. The movement awoke Tom Bowles who started up in alarm, and was greatly amazed to see his prisoner standing unbound beside his bed.
“Ye Julian!” he exclaimed, as soon as he found his tongue.