“It ain’t dreams, it’s lead that’s goin’ to settle this heah matter,” observed Sam.
Nevada soon returned with a mustang for Tom Gray. The animal was not particularly good-natured, and gave Tom no little trouble at first, but fortunately he was not unhorsed, and the party was soon galloping away, each man carrying a rifle and fifty rounds of ammunition.
A few miles down the valley they were halted by Pete and told to spread out between him and the camp and keep a sharp lookout. Three rifle shots were to be fired as a signal that the thieves had been discovered. The men rode slowly back and forth, hailing as they met at the end of their beats, and thus the night wore on with nothing more disturbing than the howls of coyotes up in the mountains.
“Is it us that those fellows are howling at?” questioned Tom Gray as he met Two-gun Pete.
“I don’t reckon so. The breeze ain’t blowin’ right fer them to scent us.”
“Then it is probable that they are howling at someone up in the hills, isn’t it?”
“Cap’n, I reckon as you aire right ’bout thet. Somethin’ aire stirrin’. I feels it in my bones. Can you folks shoot?”
“Pretty well when we can see, but not in such darkness as this. Can you?”
“Shore I kin shoot in the dark, but thet ain’t sayin’ I can hit what I’m shootin at,” chuckled Pete.
While the Overland men and cowboys were watching the foothills for the horse thieves, the girls of their party were busy making their camp comfortable and chatting with Joe Bindloss, who found himself much attracted to them. Then again, he felt it wise to remain with them until the men returned.