ersation was going on Rodney had leisure to recover his
composure, and was not a little relieved to see that there were no
side-long glances cast toward himself. Mr. Westall seemed to think that
he alone was to blame for the prisoner's escape, his four companions
were quite willing that he should shoulder the responsibility, and no
one thought of suspecting Rodney Gray.

"I am short a good horse by last night's work, and suppose I shall have
to take Percival's to replace him, won't I?" said the latter. "It's
that or go afoot, isn't it?"

"I suppose it is," replied the Emergency man.

"What sort of an animal is he and where is he?" continued Rodney. "I
should like to have a look at him."

"He's out in the yard with the rest of the critters," said Nels. "I
thought it best to keep yours in the shed because, being a stranger, the
others might have fell to kicking him if they had all been turned in
together."

"You did perfectly right," answered Rodney, who thought the man was
trying to excuse himself for having put the roan colt where he could be
so easily stolen. "And that's the reason Tom took him," he added,
mentally. "If he had gone into the yard after his own nag, the others
would have snorted and raised a fuss, and that would have started the
dogs and prevented his escape. It's all right, but I would rather have
my horse than that one."

The steed that was pointed out to him as the property of the escaped
prisoner was a fine looking animal, and the fact that he had led his
pursuers so long a chase, proved that he was not only a "goer" but a
"stayer" as well; but for all that Rodney wished his friend Tom had
thought it safe to take him and leave the roan colt.

"I have very serious objections to riding that horse through the
counties back of here," said he at length. "He is too well known; and
how do I know but that somebody will bounce me for a horse-thief?"

"That's a most disagreeable fact," said Mr. Westall, reflectively. "We
gave a description of him to every man and boy we met along the road."

"That is just what I was afraid of. Can't you give me a trade for him?"

"I don't see how we can, for if we should take the horse back to the
settlement with us, the folks there would be sure to ask how we came to
get him without getting the thief, too; see?"

"Well, could you give me a bill of sale of him?" asked the boy, after
thinking a moment.

"When I don't own a dollar's worth of interest in him?" excla