to keep them
awake. Perhaps they will not fall off, after all."

It was growing darker, but he noted that the mustangs seemed to regulate
their movements to those of their riders, and in nowise altered their
steady walk when one or the other lurched and made a spasmodic effort to
recover himself.

Then Bourne sighed and looked right ahead at the dull star of the
lanthorn in front, some of whose rays fell from time to time upon the
moving pack carried by one of the mules. From that he turned his eyes
upward to the glorious stars, whose rays gave just sufficient light to
enable the line of animals to avoid any obstacle in the way, though that
was seldom, for Skeeter plodded steadily along with his bell, and the
mules which followed almost planted their hoofs, elephant-fashion, in
the prints made by those which had gone before.

"What a long, long, weary night!" sighed Bourne at last. "Will the
morning never come?"

"Who's that?"--a sharp voice from close behind.

"I. Anything the matter, Wilton?"

"Yes; I nearly fell off my nag just now, to be left behind."

"You mustn't do that. 'Ware snakes."

"Oh, don't mention them," came with a shudder. "But thank goodness!"

"By all means; but for what in particular now?"

"You gave me such a fright."

"I did? How? I've been here with the boys for the last quarter of an
hour."

"The boys? Where are they?"

"Here, one each side."

"Oh! I thought those were mules with packs. Do you hear, lads?"

There was no reply.

"What's the matter with them? Tired and sulky?"

"Tired? Yes! Sulky? No. They're both fast asleep."

"Poor fellows! No wonder. So was I just now."

"But you said I gave you a fright. I did nothing. What was it?"

"I was fast asleep, I tell you, holding on I suppose by my knees, when I
woke up and found that you were not by my side."

"But I told you I was going to ride on and see how the boys were getting
on."

"Did you? I didn't hear a word. I must have been sound."

"But you answered me, and said, `All right.'"

"Very likely, but it was in my sleep. When I woke up, though, and found
you were not with me, it was a regular shock, for I thought you must
have fallen off and be lying somewhere in the darkness and your nag
beside you. The sensation was horrible, for in my stupid sleepy state I
felt that we might never find you again."

"How horrible!"

"It was, I can tell you. It roused me up a bit, and I had common-se