“How’s that?”
“I believe I can find that island they spoke of myself. We’ll see if we cannot beat them to it, Dig. Certainly we have the advantage of the best mounts, if we don’t know the country as well as Steve does.”
They recovered their outfit, built a fire, and cooked dinner while their horses rested; then they set out toward the east without paying any attention to the route followed by their two enemies, nor much to the course they had taken in coming to this sheltered valley.
Chet had his compass and he laid as direct a course as he knew for the shallow river in question.
The six remaining members of the buffalo herd were out of sight as the boys rode up the valley. Where they had gone to was a mystery.
“But you can bet Tony and that other fellow are not following them,” remarked Dig, in disgust.
“Quite right,” responded Chet. “Those scamps have got all they wanted.”
“I hope the time will come when we can ‘call quits’ with ’em,” said Dig.
“Hear! hear! Satisfaction is what we’re after—and those deeds.”
The boys crossed the divide and as they went down the slope, they struck another watercourse which, beginning as a small rill, increased in width and volume of water very rapidly. They were in sight of this stream through the rough country spreading eastward until past mid-afternoon.