so I out with my knife and gave him a prod, and off we went. It
weren't far, some two hundred yards or so, but it was the way I wanted
him, right across the line we were going. Then down he tumbled. "All
right," said I. "You've done your work, old man; but you mustn't lay
here, or they may light upon you and guess what's been up." So we lugged
him on to his feet, gave him another prod, which sent him limping off;
and on we went on our course, sure that we were at last safe, for we had
thrown the bloodhound altogether off our trail. For a mile or so we kept
right away from our course, for fear that they should keep straight on,
and, missing the scent, lead the dog across the trail, and so pick it up
again; then we turned and made straight for the road. "I don't think,
Rube," I said after a while, "that we shall strike the road far off
where we left it at Pepita's." "No, I expect not, Seth. We had better
bear a little more to the south, for they will most likely make for
Pepita's, and day will soon be breaking now." "We'd better not strike
the road at all, Rube; likely enough, they will follow it down for a few
miles in hopes of picking us up." "I hope they will," Rube said; "and I
expect so. Won't it be a lark, just?" "What do you mean, Rube?" "Mean?
Why, didn't the Cap tell us to leave San Miguel before daybreak, and to
ride to meet him? It warn't likely that he meant us to ride more than
ten miles or so; so that he will be within that distance of San Miguel
by an hour after daybreak, and will be at Pepita's half an hour later.
If them fellows ride on, they are safe to fall into as nice a trap
as----" "Jehoshophat!" said I. "You're right, Rube. Let's make tracks.
It can't be more than another four or five miles to the road, and day
will break in half an hour." "How strong do you reckon them, Seth?"
"Fifty or sixty," said I, "by the regular sound of the horses." "That's
about what I guessed," Rube said. "There are forty of our chaps, and
they will be fresh. We'll give 'em goss."

'We had now long ceased to hear the baying of the dog, which had been
most unpleasantly clear when we got off the old hoss that had done us
such a good turn. We made sure, too, that we were well ahead, for they
would likely wait an hour in trying to pick up the trail again. Daylight
came at last; and when it was light enough to see, we stopped and took a
look from a slight rise, and there, across the plain, we could see the
road just where we ex