“Well, I can’t understand the matter at all,” said the ranchman. “Lish had some object in sending me that note, but what it was I don’t know. But I do know that the mule is mine, and that I must have him if I have to fight for him.”
These words were uttered in a quiet but decided tone, and Oscar knew that the ranchman meant all he said.
CHAPTER XX.
INSIDE THE DUG-OUT.
Poor Oscar! This was a most unexpected and disastrous ending to the expedition upon which he had set out with such high hopes.
What would his mother do now? What would be the verdict of the committee, who seemed to have so exalted an opinion of his abilities, and whose confidence in him had led them to place in his hands a thousand dollars of the university’s money?
It is true that he still had funds at his command, but he had use for them. If another mule must be purchased, where was he going to obtain the money to pay his guide? It was a bad case, altogether, and almost any boy would have been utterly discouraged. Oscar certainly was, and he was on the very point of abandoning the whole thing in despair, when something prompted him to say to himself:
“If I give up here, I must return that money; and how in the world am I to do that?”
This thought frightened him, and made him almost desperate. He hastily reviewed the situation, and in two minutes more had made up his mind how to act.
“All right, Mr. Barker,” said he, giving back the note which the latter had handed him to read. “If this is your mule it is nothing more than fair that you should have him. Thompson,” he added, turning to his guide, who had stood by, an interested listener to all that had passed between the ranchman and his employer, “what will you take for your pony?”
“Wal,” said the latter, suddenly straightening up and winking hard, as if he had just been aroused from a sound sleep, “he aint fur sale, that there hoss aint.”