He did not abandon his old clothes, but wrapped them up in his blankets, threw them over his shoulder, and started toward the bottom of the ravine.
Just as he reached it his steps were arrested by an exclamation of astonishment that fell upon his ear, and, looking up, he saw Lish the Wolfer peeping out from behind a rock a little distance away.
“Hello! What brought you back here?” exclaimed Tom. “I thought I saw you ride toward the camp a quarter of an hour ago.”
“Mebbe ye did,” replied the wolfer, still keeping his position behind the rock, and showing nothing but his head around the side of it. “Thar’s been a hoss through this gulch since I went away. But, see here, pard. Ye don’t look like yerself.”
“Don’t I?” replied Tom, who now walked up and presented himself before the wolfer. “Well, you can see that it is I, can’t you? Come on. I’ve a story to tell and a letter to read to you; and if you don’t get mad and vow vengeance against the one who wrote it, you are not the man I take you for. Lish, you had an awful row with some fellow last summer, and injured him seriously, and if you don’t dig out of here in a little less than no time you’ll be arrested.”
“’Taint no sich thing!” exclaimed Lish, stopping suddenly, and facing his companion.
Tom saw at once that he had made a mistake. If he had been a little better acquainted with his partner he never would have accused him of being in a fight with anybody, for he lacked the courage to carry him through such an ordeal.
“Well, you are suspected of it, anyway,” said Tom; “and if you stay here and allow yourself to be taken into custody our trip to the hills is up stump. But you did steal something,” he added, closely watching his companion’s face, on which a change at once became visible, “and I know it.”
That he had hit the nail on the head this time was evident. Lish turned all sorts of colors, and looked up and down the ravine, and before and behind him, as if he were trying to make up his mind which way he would run, in case circumstances rendered it necessary for him to seek safety in flight.
Finally he backed into the bushes, and said, almost in a whisper: