Transley and Linder were so early about on the morning after their conversation with Y.D. that there was no opportunity of another meeting with the rancher’s wife or daughter. They were slipping quietly out of the house to take breakfast with the men when Y.D. intercepted them.
“Breakfast is waitin’, boys,” he said, and led them back into the room where they had had supper the previous evening. Y.D. ate with them, but the meal was served by the Chinese boy.
In the yard all was jingling excitement. The men of the Y.D. were fraternally assisting Transley’s gang in hitching up and getting away, and there was much bustling activity to an accompaniment of friendly profanity. It was not yet six o’clock, but the sun was well up over the eastern ridges that fringed the valley, and to the west the snow-capped summits of the mountains shone like polished ivory. The exhilaration in the air was almost intoxicating.
Linder quickly converted the apparent chaos of horses, wagons and implements into order; Transley had a last word with Y.D., and the rancher, shouting “Good luck, boys! Make it a thousand tons or more,” waved them away.
Linder glanced back at the house. The bright sunshine had not awakened it; it lay dreaming in its grove of cool, green trees.
The trail lay, not up the valley, but across the wedge of foothills which divided the South Y.D. from the parent stream. The assent was therefore much more rapid than the trails which followed the general course of the stream. Huge hills, shouldering together, left at times only wagon-track room between; at other places they skirted dangerous cutbanks worn by spring freshets, and again trekked for long distances over gently curving uplands. In an hour the horses were showing the strain of it, and Linder halted them for a momentary rest.
It was at that moment that Drazk rode up, his face a study in obvious annoyance.
“Danged if I ain’t left that Pete-horse’s blanket down at the Y.D.,” he exclaimed.
“Oh, well, you can easily ride back for it and catch up on us this afternoon,” said Linder, who was not in the least deceived.
“Thanks, Lin,” said Drazk. “I’ll beat it down an’ catch up on you this afternoon, sure,” and he was off down the trail as fast as “that Pete-horse” could carry him.