Grace said that there was no need to do that, and suggested further that she thought she might be of some assistance to the searchers, but the Overland girl did not explain what she meant by her last remark, nor did Tom think twice about it. His mind was troubled.
Emma answered the question of her joining the party before it was asked by announcing that she was going to ride with Two-gun Pete and Mr. Bindloss.
Arrangements were quickly made and after the situation had been explained to Lieutenant Wingate, Nora and Emma, the rancher and his party mounted their ponies, leaving Sierra in charge of the ranch with another cowboy and Sam Conifer to assist him.
“Do as well as ye did last night when ye let them fellers git away an’ ye prob’bly’ll git yer fool haid shot off,” warned Sam as Jim swung into his saddle.
“That’s all right so long as we leave another wuss fool heah at the ranch,” gave back Jim, and the party galloped away.
It was a hard ride, especially for Emma and Grace, but both girls stood up under it remarkably well. Only one stop was made and that was at a spring to water the ponies, after which the journey was resumed. The rancher and his party reached their destination about the middle of the afternoon, where the same scenes were being enacted as on the previous day. Cattle were milling and bawling, and above the roar came the calls of the cowpunchers, clear and distinct.
The herd engaged in the milling was much smaller than before because so many head had been cut out and sent to graze at another place, there to be guarded by men who would see to it that they neither got away nor were stolen, for these cattle soon were to be driven to market.
At Bindloss’s direction, the men of the party separated and rode out to question the cowmen about Stacy, and after every man there had been interviewed, the searchers returned to the knoll where the girls were awaiting them.
“He hasn’t been here since last night,” Tom informed them. “The last seen of him was when he was riding up towards that knoll yonder where you see the red bushes. Whether or not he came back, no one seems to know.”
“Then he possibly rode into the mountains and got lost,” suggested Emma. “That would be just like Stacy.”