“I waited till it was dark, and thar wasn’t a bit of moon that night, when I sneaked into camp and got thar three animals agin, and heading for Port Severn, I made up my mind to keep the thing going without giving ’em the slightest chance to pull up.  The weather had toned down so that it was comfortable to travel, and arter I got out of hearin’ of the camp, I just swung my hat, and kicked and laughed to think how cheap them varmints would feel when they’d come to wake up in the morning, and find out how nice the white man had got ahead of ’em.  Yer see, it war just a question as to which of us war the smartest.  We weren’t going for each other’s hair—­though we’d done that any other time—­but for each other’s hosses, and I’d stole thars twice to thar stealin’ mine once, and I still held ’em, so I had good reason to crow over ’em.  Wal, sir, I made up my mind that they warn’t going to come any shenanigan over me, and I struck the shortest line for Fort Severn.  I rode through that very pass in which you come so near getting cotched, and in fact, the place whar I got the hosses warn’t ten miles from that big cave.

“I had plain sailin’ all the way into the fort, and everything went along well.  I had only to ride on my critter, when the others galloped along like so many dogs.  Yer see, I meant business, and I kept a watch for them varmints all the time.  When I stopped for food or rest, I made sartin that they warn’t anywhar in sight, and during the three or four days that followed I never slept an hour together.  I managed to snatch a few minutes slumber while riding my mustang on a full gallop, but when I stopped to give the animals time to rest, I kept watch, for I felt as though it would break my heart to be outwitted again.  I made the best kind of time, and my last camp was within a dozen miles of Fort Severn.  I was purty well used up by that time, and making sure that the varmints warn’t anywhar within a day’s ride, I put in a good two hours sleep.  Well I never rightly understood it,” added Sut, with a sigh, “and I’m allers ashamed to tell it, but when I went out to mount my mustang, the whole four war gone, and the moccasin tracks on the ground showed who had took ’em.  I can’t understand to this day how them varmints kept so close behind me, and how they war ready when the chance came into their way; but they war, and they beat me as fairly as the thing was ever done in this world.”

“Didn’t ye try to folly them?”

“No; I thought I might as well give up.  I sneaked into the fort and tried to keep the thing from ’em, but I couldn’t tell a straight story, and they found out how it was at last, and I don’t suppose I’ll ever hear the last of it.”

A short time afterward, the two laid down and slept.

CHAPTER XXII.

TWO OLD ACQUAINTANCES.

All three of the little party needed rest, and none of them opened their eyes until morning.  As a simple precaution the scout smothered the fire entirely, by scraping the ashes over the embers.  Not a ray of moonlight could reach them, and they were wrapped in the most impenetrable darkness.