“The critters thet the Dude caught last night. They’ve got clean away. Somebody sawed a hole in the back of the stable and got ’em out!”
“Gosh a-mighty!” gasped Bindloss. “I ought to have done what I wanted to do and shot ’em both. But I’ll do it yet! I’ll do it yet!” he raged, stalking from the ranch-house on his way to the scene of the escape.
CHAPTER XIV
THE LOST TRAIL
“I am going back to the round-up, then over to see Malcolm Hornby,” announced Joe Bindloss after returning from the stable, where he had gone to see for himself how the prisoners had escaped. “I hate the critter, but if we stock owners don’t get together and organize to wipe out these thieves we shan’t have any stock left by the end of the season.”
“I’ll go with you,” offered Tom Gray.
“Sure, if you like. Pete, you and Idaho are to ride with us, leaving the rest here to protect the ranch. We mustn’t leave the place alone again, but there’s got to be some better protecting than there was last night,” warned Bindloss. “I’ll bet every steer on my ranch that if Lieutenant Wingate had been on his feet they wouldn’t have got away—alive!”
“Tom, I am going, too,” announced Grace.
“Rough riding, girlie,” reminded Tom.
“Yes, I know. But I don’t mind. Elfreda will remain with Hippy who will be all right if someone doesn’t fire more bullets into him. She and Nora may be trusted to take good care of him. Perhaps Emma would like to go, too, especially if that big cowboy Pete is to accompany us,” added Grace laughingly.
“Come along. You won’t be satisfied unless you do,” agreed Tom. “I will speak to Bindloss about it.”