ey hold the boy, you see, they've got
the hands of the old fellow tied, for he thinks a heap of his boy, and
he'll do anything to save him."

"And that's why he sends us arter him," said Tom.

"He knows that if he let a lot of the men go, they might get all chawed
up, and it wouldn't help the boy any, so he thinks we kin get him out of
their hands by some hocus pocus or other."

"And what do _you_ think, Tom?" asked his companion, in a confidential
voice. "Is there much show for ever saving the skulp of little Ned?"

His brother hunter looked into the fire for several minutes, with a very
serious expression upon his countenance. He was thinking intently upon
the situation, and trying to extract some comfort from the prospect.

"Wal, Dick, you know as well as me that it's mighty hard to tell in such
a case. We've both got the best of hosses, that kin hold thar own agin
anythin' the reds can scare up; but if they go to such pains to get the
chap into thar hands, they'll take the same pains to keep him thar."

"Exactly; but they won't be expectin' any such move as we're at so early
in the day, don't you see? and there's where we gain the advantage by
hurryin' on, afore they kin get off in the mountains with him."

There seemed to be reason in this conclusion, and both agreed upon it.

At the end of a couple of hours their horses had rested sufficiently,
and they were mounted again. They had trusted to the mustangs to act as
sentinels while they spent their time in eating and talking, and, no
alarm having been given, they were satisfied that there was no one in
the vicinity, and they rode off toward the northeast, without any
concern of present danger threatening them. By this time the moon was in
the sky; but a few clouds were occasionally scudding before his face, so
that the prairie was not illuminated with as much clearness as upon the
preceding night. The two hunters galloped along at a swinging gallop, a
rate of speed which their mustangs were capable of continuing for hours
and which it was the purpose of the riders to keep up until their
destination was reached. Now and then, through the stillness of the
night, the cries of wild animals came to their ears, and once or twice
these sounded very much like signals from parties of Indians.

Tom and Dick never once relaxed their vigilance, but, as far as the
gloom would permit, scanned the country about them in every direction.
Besides, they occasionally caught th