“But here is what seems to be another little rise on our left, Dick,” observed Roger, as what looked like a secondary ridge arose between them and the star-studded heavens.
“Yes, I’ve been noticing that for some little while now,” Dick answered. “And I’m sure that just on the other side lies the level prairie that we want to reach soon.”
“Then we must cross over that divide; is that the way, Dick?”
“When we come to a place where we can do it without exposing ourselves too much. Remember how I happened to discover the seventeen braves, Roger; though they would be too far away, perhaps, to see us crossing over. And here seems to be the right spot to make the attempt. I hope we find a trail for the horses, because they are not able to climb rocks as we can.”
A short time later they were slowly but steadily passing up from the little valley that lay like a swale between the two slight ridges.
“This is all right, Dick,” remarked Roger, when, after some toil, they managed to reach what seemed to be the pinnacle of the “hogback,” as the border boys called such a ridge.
“Yes, and if the going down is as easy, we can thank our stars,” answered Dick.
Before starting the descent he turned and looked long and earnestly in the direction whence those cries of disappointment had arisen a short time before.
“There, what did I tell you?” he exclaimed; “look yonder, Roger, and you will see something queer.”