If the reader has ever found himself in a forest at midnight he knows that it is no fun. And it makes no difference how courageous one may be, either. Mark was no coward, but he was human, and he felt quite creepy as he pushed his way ahead through the black forest shadows. He pictured to himself all sorts of unpleasant possibilities, the least of which was a conflict with those yearlings.
There was but little time, however, for such unpleasant anticipations, for the distance to the clearing was short. Mark reached the edge of it without interruption of any kind and promptly pushed his way through the surrounding thicket. A moment later he was standing upon the spot he sought.
He saw no one; the place was as deserted and silent as it had been when Texas was there. But for the shadows of the trees that waved to and fro on the ground, and for the gentle night breeze that rustled through the branches, the place was as silent as death.
Mark stood motionless where he was; he held his weapon in his hand ready for the slightest danger, but as he gazed about him and saw no sign of any foe, his vigilance relaxed and he bowed his head in thought.
“Where on earth can Texas have gone?” he muttered, half aloud. “This is the strangest——”
He never finished the sentence. A sound had interrupted him, a sound which made his flesh creep. It was a low groan.
Mark started back in consternation. It had come from the edge of the clearing, that voice! And whose could it be but the Texan’s? Texas had been captured by the yearlings!
Mark never hesitated an instant. He made a leap for the spot, cocking his revolver as he did so. He bent down to push his way through the bushes, to rescue his gallant comrade.
The next instant, with a thud that shook the woods and almost tumbled the plebe upon his face, a heavy body landed upon his back and flung its arms about him.
But one idea occurred to Mark at that moment. It was Bull or one of the yearlings! His first impulse was to point his pistol over his shoulder and fire. He checked it as he recovered his self-possession; he did not want to shoot anybody, and he did not want to alarm the camp. He would fight this hand-to-hand battle, even though he was at a disadvantage.