He spent a moment in arranging his blankets, so that anyone who took a casual glance at them would believe that they covered a human form, took his overcoat on his arm, picked up his rifle and accoutrements, which he had placed at the head of his bed, and stole silently away into the darkness.
He walked a few rods with noiseless footsteps, and then, breaking into a run, flew over the ground at a rate of speed he had never equalled before.
"I've got it! I've got it at last!" he kept whispering to himself; "and if I can only keep it, I am sure of seeing home and friends once more. I will keep it. I'll fight till I drop before I'll give it up. I am rather sorry that I had to take it all, but I was afraid that if I stopped to divide it, one or the other of them would wake up and discover me. Well, Leon stands in no need of it, for he doesn't want to go home. Besides, he has Eben to take care of him, while I must look out for myself."
The boy would have been greatly amazed if anyone had told him that the hunter had been laying his plans to do just what he (Frank) had done.
Eben never intended to guide the boys to Fort Laramie. His object was to lead them into the wilderness beyond Julesburg, where there were but few wagons to be met at that season of the year, steal Leon's money and Frank's rifle and blankets, and leave them to shift for themselves. But Frank got the start of him, and we shall see what the hunter did about it.
Frank very soon ran himself out of breath, and was obliged to settle down into a walk.
Knowing that his absence would ere long be discovered, and that an effort would be made to overtake him and recover the money, he stopped frequently to listen for sounds of pursuit, holding himself in readiness to leave the trail and seek a hiding-place in the grass if he heard the sound of horses' hoofs. But Leon and the hunter still slept soundly, and Frank went on his way unmolested.
The five miles that lay between his own camp and the camp of the emigrant seemed to have lengthened out wonderfully since Frank passed that way, but just as the day was breaking he came within sight of the canvas cover of the wagon, and saw the light of the camp-fire shining through it.
Breaking into a run, he dashed up to the wagon, creating no little excitement among the emigrant's children, who ran to their mother and clung to her dress for protection.
The woman looked up from her cooking, the man, who was harnessing his mules, faced suddenly about, and both stared at him, as if to ask what he meant by his intrusion.