“He may be wrong, you know; besides, there’s no trusting these devils. They might have changed their minds. You ‘ll help me, old man, won’t you?”
“Of course.”
It took but a few moments to prepare for that journey back. Each man saw that his revolvers were loaded, saddled his horse, and they were ready. The horse Jimmy had ridden was done.
“Shall we leave him?” said Stanesby, contemptuously stirring him with his foot.
“No, by Jove! no,” said his companion, “we must have him. He knows all the sign.”
So they forced the reluctant Jimmy to mount the packhorse, and distributed his load between them, taking only what was absolutely necessary.
When they were quite ready Stanesby looked at his watch.
“Ten o’clock,” he said. “We must be there before daylight if we want to do any good;” and Turner could not but note that there was a more hopeful ring in his voice. Evidently he thought that perhaps all would be well after all.
They rode in silence, each man busy with his own thoughts. They had to ride judiciously too, for their horses were poor, and they had done forty miles already that day. Could they ever get back to the out-station before breakfast? Could they? And would they be in time if they did? Turner asked himself the question again and again, and he felt that his companion was doing the same thing. Whenever he touched his horse with the spur till the poor beast started forward with a fresh burst of energy, his companion felt he was thinking that the girl’s life was forfeit by his carelessness, was wondering would they ever be in time.
Dawn would be about six o’clock. Forty miles to go, and eight hours to do it in. Forty miles straight ahead, with absolutely nothing to break the monotony except the little patch of prickly bush where they had spelled that afternoon. They went farther before they spelled to-night, and they did not stop then till it was very evident to both that the horses must have a rest, if it was only for half an hour. Turner lay on the ground and stared up at the starlit sky, and listened to the deep breathing of the black boy, and the restless pacing up and down of his companion. Then he fell into a doze from which he was aroused by Stanesby, and they were on their way again.