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Page 61
Catching up his pony, the guide quickly saddled, and, mounting,
started across the desert at a brisk gallop. Five minutes later
the solitary horseman turned his pony about and dashed away. Hi
threw up his rifle and sent a bullet after the man, continuing to
fire until the magazine of his rifle was emptied.
After reloading Hi thrust the rifle into its saddle boot and rode
on until he reached the point from which the horseman had been
observing. Hi Lang got down and again examined the hoof-prints of
the watcher's pony.
"Huh!" he grunted. "That cayuse will keep on until something hits
him--hits him hard. I reckon I begin to smell a mouse, and I think
Mrs. Gray does, too. Hope she didn't hear me shooting back there.
But none of that outfit is so sleepy or thick-headed that they
don't see or hear pretty much everything that's going on about
them."
Having freed his mind, Hi remounted and rode slowly back towards
the camp. The Chinaman was getting breakfast when Mr. Lang rode in
and tethered his pony.
"Pack up right after breakfast. We've got a long journey to-day,"
he directed.
Ping nodded his understanding and went on with his work, humming
to himself. Half an hour later the Riders began to appear, each
with a cheery good morning for their guide and adviser.
Grace and Elfreda came out together. Miss Briggs paused to chat
with the guide, Grace walking on and strolling about to get an
appetite, as she nearly always did in the early morning.
Hi Lang observed her narrowly when Grace halted by the cross and
stood gazing down at it thoughtfully.
"I wonder who you are, unhappy traveler?" she was murmuring. "I
wonder, too, if there are any who are wondering where you are?"
Grace observed that the ground had been disturbed since last she
saw it, but she made no comment when, a few moments later, she
joined Mr. Lang and Elfreda.
"Grace, I was just asking Mr. Lang who it was that was shooting
this morning," greeted Elfreda.
"I presume he told you it was a mirage of your dreams, did he
not?" smiled Grace teasingly.
"It was Mr. Lang who did the shooting," replied Elfreda. "Grace,
our mysterious horseman was on the job again this morning."
"Did you hit him?" questioned Grace.
Hi Lang shook his head.
"Too far away. Knew I couldn't get him. All I expected to do was
to give him a polite hint that his attentions were displeasing to
us. It was the same man that has been following us all along, Mrs.
Gray. It was the same hoofprints, too, that I found up in the
range where we first made camp. If that critter and I ever get
close enough to see each other's eyes there's going to be a
shooting match. When we get to the hills he will have the
advantage of us, because he can get closer without being seen."
"Please don't worry, Mr. Lang. We will meet that emergency when we
come face to face with it. Perhaps by then I may have skill enough
with the lasso to practice on a real live man," laughed Grace.
"I reckon you could get most anything you cast for already."
"Thank you! When do we start?"
"Right away. Just as soon as we finish breakfast. Ping is packing
up and we will be off in no time."
Breakfast had been eaten, and in something less than twenty
minutes from that time, the party was well on its way, and the
sun, red and angry, was showing its upper rim above the sands of
the desert.
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