, Henry!"

"Oh, I shan't be this time. It always lames me for a few hours, though,
when I do anything to it. Knees are great chaps for bearing malice."

"Well, you certainly shan't walk to Athens," said Polly, with decision.
"You must ride one horse and Mrs. Conrad the other, while Mr. Scott and I
walk. I'd love to!"

"Dear child, you couldn't," exclaimed Clara. "Could you ride, Henry, do
you think? You and Polly could ride to Athens and send somebody back for
us with the other wagon."

"I could," said Hard, "but I'd rather not. I'd like to rest it for a
couple of hours if I could. Scott, suppose you walk and let them ride and
leave me here. There's a shady-looking spot over in those cottonwoods and
I'll just rest there till I'm able to hobble back to the Soria place. You
can send for me there."

"There's a trail just above here that goes over and strikes the one we
came on about eight miles from Athens," said Scott, doubtfully. "I've
never traveled it, but Gomez told me about it last year. Rough, he said,
but navigable. I guess that's what we'd better do, Hard, leave you here
and I'll walk."

"How far is it?" asked Mrs. Conrad.

"Oh, twenty miles, maybe. It cuts off a good deal."

"You shan't walk twenty miles on a rough trail, my dear man, if I can
prevent it," said Clara, firmly. "You and Polly must ride, and I'll stay
here with Henry. Now, please! I'm at home in this country and I'm not
afraid." There was a pause, then Scott said:

"I guess she's right, Hard. They don't either of 'em ride well enough to
tackle a strange trail alone, and if I walk it will delay sending back for
you. One of us had better ride the trail with Polly, while the other stays
at Soria's with Mrs. Conrad."

After a little more discussion it was decided that Scott and Polly should
go, while the other two returned, after Hard had rested a bit, to the
Soria place. Scott moved the suitcases which Clara had brought over to the
little nook made by the cottonwoods, where they could be left until
someone came with the Athens wagon, and helped Hard to hobble over there.
Then, feeling rather as though they had deserted their friends, and yet
not knowing what else to do, Scott and Polly rode away.

CHAPTER XIV

THE TRAIL

In after years, Scott was wont to say that he distrusted the trail
recommended by Gomez from the moment his horse started to travel it.

"It was one of those trails that didn't look right--from the first," he