party seemed to fill the
village, and some of the crowd round the gaol, where the horse-thieves
were imprisoned, never moved away all night, fearing the robbers might
try to break out before morning, when they were to be escorted by a
strong body of men to the nearest town, to await their trial. Jack,
however, was too tired to enter much into the great excitement going
on, and was glad enough, after some supper, to wrap himself up in his
blanket, and go to sleep on the floor of a tiny shanty outside the
village.

CHAPTER XII.

AT LAST.

The next morning Jack was quite rested, and very eager to join Joe, who
proposed they should go and see the start of the prisoners. They
walked towards the gaol, and arrived there just as the party were
starting. The horse-thieves, eight in number, were all pinioned, and
were riding in the midst of a band of well-armed horsemen, who were
ever on the alert to detect the first attempt to escape from any of the
prisoners. They were a sullen, desperate-looking set of men, who
scowled fiercely at the restless crowd as they surged round them,
almost pushing against the horses in their efforts to see all they
could of the far-famed evil gang, who at last had fallen into the hands
of justice. At a signal from the Sheriff the little band moved away
and slowly trotted out of sight. When they had disappeared from view,
everyone followed the Sheriff (who had remained behind with two of his
men) to the big corral, where the captured horses were still standing.

Jack and Joe went with the crowd and stood looking at the horses, while
the Sheriff began busily entering in his notebook the different brands
marked on the animals.

'What's that for?' asked Jack.

'To help find out the owners,' returned Joe. 'You see the Sheriff 'll
advertise these brands, and the colours of the horses, and then folks
as have lost any 'll come and identify 'em.'

Suddenly Jack gave a cry of delight, and clambering over the bars of
the corral, rushed into the midst of the loose horses towards a
yellow-coated broncho. He flung his arms round the horse's neck and
fairly hugged it. Then, keeping hold of the shaggy mane, he led the
animal towards the bars, where his friend stood staring in astonishment.

[Illustration: 'JACK RUSHED INTO THE MIDST OF THE HORSES TOWARDS A
YELLOW-COATED BRONCHO.']

'Joe!' he shouted joyfully. 'Just see! Here's Buckskin, our old
"Buck," as I've told you about!'

Everyon