"
"Tom? Tom Bodine?"
"The same," replied the ex-cowboy, materializing out of the darkness,
and approaching. "And glad I am," he added, "to find you."
"But, good gracious, Tom, is anything the matter? Why are you here? I
thought we left you heading back for home five hours ago?"
"No, you just left me," said Tom. "That's all. I didn't head home,
because I wanted to come along. Been a-trailin' you all the way. And
here I am."
Jack was surprised, indeed. But now that Tom was with them, he
experienced a sense of relief. To venture into a strange land without
a guide, and in pitch darkness, besides, was a pretty stiff
undertaking. The responsibility of looking after his friends was no
light one.
"To tell the truth, Tom," Jack said, "I'm glad you came."
Bob and Frank echoed his words heartily.
"I had just about decided when you came up," Jack added, "that I had
lost my way. Frank thought, however, we merely hadn't gone far enough
to find your landmarks."
"He was right," said Tom. "You come straight as a die. All we got to
do is to ride on a piece an' we'll be in the snuggest cave ever you
see."
Riding two abreast, Tom and Jack in the lead and Frank and Bob close
behind, they pressed on another twenty minutes when Tom called a halt
to indicate a clump of rocks close at hand which suggested in their
outline a crouching camel.
Pages:
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117