"We'll hear—if we ever see any one from the Fort again. But, I'll stake my saddle against a blanket pin he left a trail of blood if any one was in his way," responded Jennings.
This suggestion that they might never live to return from the pursuit sent Scotty's heart into his throat.
"If we ever see any one from the Fort?" he repeated in dismay. "Aren't we going back to get horses and reinforcements?"
Their eyes twinkling, the veterans looked at one another and laughed.
"Say, have you forgotten your 'rules and regulations' so quick?" demanded Shaw. "Don't you remember that only in 'cases of dire emergency may a scout give up a trail and return to the Fort?'" he added, drawling in imitation of the colonel when quizzing the recruits.
"Well, isn't this such an occasion?" returned the youngster.
"Hardly," rejoined Jennings. "We're not dead, we're not injured, we're——"
"But we've lost our ponies," interrupted Scotty.
"And it's up to us to get 'em back," declared the veteran. "To save you a 'twigging' by the colonel, the sooner you get it into your noddle that 'dire emergency' means only when you're so wounded you can't get back to the post, the better.
"So, as soon as you've finished grub, we'll be starting."