“It puzzles me why they are going at all, if they haven’t the papers,” Dig observed.
“Maybe they are going for grub. They can’t have much—and a mighty poor outfit for camping, anyway. I didn’t see any meat in their camp last night,” Chet said.
“That might be the reason. Well, we need some stuff ourselves. I hope they lead us straight to town.”
CHAPTER XXVI—“THE KING OF THEM ALL”
Following the two men who had robbed them, but who had been later overcome by the chums, was, as Dig announced, a tame sort of job. The mounts of the trail boys were so much superior to the ponies ridden by the men, that there was little danger of the pursued outwitting the pursuers on the open plain.
But before many hours the course followed would bring the two parties into a hilly country, and Chet well knew that then they would have to be sharp to keep directly on the men’s trail.
“Just the same, we can read signs pretty well,” he told his chum; “and by riding close to them I don’t believe that Steve can beat us. I’m sure Tony is too clumsy to hide his trail at all.”
“He’s strong as an ox, though,” said Dig, reflectively. “We must be mighty careful, Chet, that Tony never comes to a clinch with either of us. If he does—good-bye!”
“We mustn’t let either get within pistol range,” Chet said quietly. “We know that already.”
It was, indeed, rather a delicate situation. The boys were not at all sure that the thieves would not do them bodily harm if they got the chance. Two boys certainly would be no match for two men if they came together unarmed.