Saturday, August 12.
It was considered unnecessary for any one to stand guard last night, as
we had come two days’ travel from where the suspicious characters live.
So all went to bed, retired early, slept soundly, and even neglected
to put Cæsar’s rug in its usual place--under our wagon--so he went
into the tent with Mr. Curry’s boys to find a comfortable bed, leaving
the camp entirely unguarded. One of our big horses wears a bell. I was
awakened in the night by hearing an unusual rattling, and the horses
came galloping up to the wagons. Dick whinnied. I raised the wagon
cover and spoke to him, and he commenced cropping the grass. The other
horses were in sight, but not eating. They seemed frightened, and just
then Cæsar came tearing out of the tent and ran toward the road barking
fiercely. The moon was shining brightly. I looked out at the back of
the wagon, but could not discover anything wrong, but evidently there
was something wrong, for Mr. Curry’s horse was gone this morning.
Mr. Curry, Sim and Hillhouse have been hunting the horse all day, but
without success, except to find certain evidence that it had been
stolen. They found the camp-fire, where three horses had been tied for
some time. They then found where four horses had traveled, so they
concluded there were three men after the horses.
The boys think it was the merest accident that our horses are not gone
too, but I believe it was providential care that kept them for us. Mr.
Curry is anxious to stay and try to recover his horse. I believe, as
the boys do, that it will be a waste of effort, for if men are mean
enough to steal a horse they will manage to keep it. But we do not like
to offer too many objections, as it might seem like selfishness on our
part, as we are not the losers.
Oh, dear, why don’t people be good, and do as they would be done by?
How much happier this world would be if there were no thieves nor
wicked people in it. I know it is hard for Mr. Curry to give up his
fine horse without making an effort to get it back. Yet I feel sure he
will not get it. For if he found it he could not force the thieves to
give it to him.