This plan was received by the boys with acclamation, and they immediately set to making preparations.  It was a considerable distance to the town, and they planned to make an early start, before the intense heat of the day set in.

They accordingly packed their “war-bags” that same evening, and before retiring had made every preparation for the morrow’s trip.

The next morning they were up with the sun, and after a hasty breakfast leaped into their saddles and were off.  It was a glorious day, and the exhilarating air made them feel “right up on their toes,” as Tom expressed it.  Bert felt called upon to reprove Tom for using this expression, for, as he gravely pointed out, they were not on their own toes at all, but on the horses’, so to speak.

“Aw, forget it,” retorted Tom flippantly; “it’s toe bad about you, anyway.”

Having delivered this shot Tom chirruped to his horse, and set off at a smart gallop, followed by Dick and Bert.  The two latter hadn’t decided what they would do to Tom when they caught him, but they were longing for a canter, anyway, and this gave them a good excuse.  But after traveling in this rapid manner for a short distance they pulled in their steeds, for it would never do to tire them thus early in the journey.  Tom, seeing that the pursuit had been abandoned, also reined in his horse, and allowed his companions to gain on him.

“Don’t shoot,” he called.  “I’ll promise to be good and never do it again—­not till the next time, that is.”

“All right,” laughed Bert, “we’ll suspend sentence this time, but at the next offense we won’t be so lenient, will we, Dick?”

“Not by a long shot,” said Dick; “we’ll toe him along at the end of a lariat if he does, that’s all.”  He grinned feebly as he got off this atrocious pun, but Bert and Tom refused to be beguiled into smiling.

“I never thought it of you, Dick, honest I didn’t,” mourned Bert, sadly shaking his head.  “I naturally expect such things from Tom, but I had a better opinion of you.  I suppose I’ll have to let bygones be bygones, but just the same you deserve nothing less than ptomaine poisoning as punishment.”

At this Tom and Dick gave utterance to a howl of execration that made their horses jump, and two tightly rolled sombreros came flying toward Bert’s head.  But he ducked just in time, and then had a good laugh as Tom and Dick were forced to dismount and secure their misused headgear.

Soon his two friends were back in the saddle, however, and then they set off at a steady trot, discussing in a more serious vein the probability of such an uprising as Mr. Melton feared.

“I don’t want it to happen,” summed up Bert at last, “but if it’s got to happen anyway, I hope it does while we’re out here.  I feel like a small boy going to a fire.  As long as the house has to burn anyway, he wants to be Johnny-on-the-spot.”

In this manner the time passed quickly, and before eleven o’clock they were nearing the town.  A few minutes later they were riding through its streets, alertly on the lookout for any signs of impending trouble.  All seemed much the same as usual, though, except that about the telegraph and newspaper offices there seemed to be unwonted bustle and excitement.  Here and there knots of men had congregated also, who appeared to be discussing some important matter.