“Well, I can try,” returned Chet. “Anyway, we’ll take shelter in the woods. Our camp won’t be spotted so far.”
“Waugh!” ejaculated Dig, with disgust. “No use in locking the stable after the horse has been swiped. Those fellows don’t want anything more of us, that’s sure. They’ll let us alone after this, I reckon.”
But he did not oppose his chum’s suggestion. They got into the saddle again and pushed for the timber line. The sun had sunk altogether behind the mountains and darkness on the plain gathered quickly. The timber was tall and thick and they were in the shadow of it for some time before they reached the first line of trees.
It was Chet who observed the light first. It twinkled at a stationary point some distance back in the forest.
He drew in Hero quickly and put out a hand to warn Dig back. “There’s a campfire,” he said quietly.
“Whew! Who’s that, do you suppose?”
“That’s what we want to find out,” Chet said, with decision. “And we want to find it out before we get into any trouble. Look out, Dig! that black scamp is going to whinny.”
Dig swiftly stifled that desire on Poke’s part by pinching his nostrils between thumb and finger.
“There are other horses here, you may be sure. We’d better take our horses back farther and tether them before we do anything else.”
“No,” said Chet, thoughtfully. “We’ll put on their hobbles. We might need our ropes,” he added, which made Dig look at him curiously.