Having far less to go, the cowboy ate leisurely and then rode toward Tolopah.

In the meantime the four boys were making the best time they could, but before they had covered half the distance Whitefoot gave out completely.

For a time they proceeded, with Horace riding now with one boy and now with another.  But it was slow work, and at last Bill suggested that he ride on ahead, get fresh horses and return.  After some argument, this plan was agreed upon.

As she saw her elder son ride up alone, Mrs. Wilder was greatly alarmed, but he quickly reassured her, and with Ned’s help caught two ponies, saddled them and went back to meet the others, all reaching the house a little later.

CHAPTER XI

PREPARATIONS FOR PURSUIT

“Oh, dear!  Father and Nails have gone!” exclaimed Horace as he counted the ponies in the corral while the others were unsaddling.  “Now we can’t go with them.  I was afraid that was what father intended when he didn’t wait for us.”

“But Buster and Blackhawk are here, and there is one more pony than before,” returned Larry.

“That doesn’t prove anything.  Ned told me Nails brought in three extra ponies with him,” said Bill.

“Then you have known all the time that father and Nails were gone and never told us?” demanded Horace.

“It was because I didn’t know for certain where they had gone that I said nothing,” replied his brother.  “Ned was away when they arrived and departed.  Here comes mother; you can find out from her.”

After returning Mrs. Wilder’s greetings and giving her a brief account of the trip, Horace asked: 

“How long have father and Nails been gone?  I think it was mean of them to give us the slip like that.”

“But they haven’t gone to the hills yet,” returned his mother.  “Your father has ridden over to the Three Stars and Nails has gone to Tolopah.”

“Oh, goody!” exclaimed Horace.  “We may be able to go, after all.  Momsy, won’t you try to make father take us?”

It was only with this last question that Mrs. Wilder understood the purpose of her son’s eager inquiries, and the disclosure did not tend to quiet the anxiety she felt over the outcome of the pursuit.  Yet she only said: 

“That is a question for your father to decide.  I think, though, that you would want to stay here and protect me.”

“But you are in no danger, Momsy.  Besides, Ned and Hop Joy are here.”

The thought of the Chinaman as a protector made the other boys laugh, and realizing that they could not count on her espousal of their cause, they went off to the wagon sheds to devise a plan to win permission from the ranchman.

As the owner of the Half-Moon galloped up to the ranch house of the Three Stars his horse literally dripping water, Jim Snider and his cowboys ran up from all directions to learn the cause of such evident hard riding.