“And should we feel tired of riding we can go on to Las Vegas by train, can’t we?” added Mrs. Vernon, thinking of her girls, and this unusually long ride in the saddle.
Thus it was decided, and Tally was so informed after the tourists left the dining-room. He agreed without demur, but he showed his disappointment at being shipped on a train when he had looked forward to trailing all the way to the Grand Cañon without an up-to-date train doing its part in the trip.
In the morning, therefore, Tally had gone, but not to the train, when the scouts came downstairs. It was learned that he could not leave Springer till after eleven that morning, so he had decided to do a little sight-seeing without escorting his party.
“That’s the way he has of telling us he disapproves of our decision of sending him with the burros,” said the Captain, a note of sympathy in her tone.
“We’re sorry as he is, Verny, but what can we do? Ship the slow little pests on the train without a guard?” said Mr. Gilroy.
“Tally must see that we cannot do otherwise,” added Sandy.
“Thar’s none so blind as them that won’t see,” quoth Julie, nodding her head sagely.
Of course Sandy turned his head quickly and smiled fatuously, but she tossed her curly head and grinned back.
The trail that day led the scouts past the State Reformatory which is at Springer, then on southward to Colmor. They had an excellent view of the peaks of the Cimarron Mountains, of which Old Baldy is the highest. At Colmor they saw the Lake Charetts irrigation reservoir from a distance, but had no inclination to ride nearer to inspect the huge project.
They stopped at a wayside ranch and had the midday meal, then rode on until Wagon Mound was reached in the late afternoon. Here they stopped for the night and resumed the trail in the morning.