DAN COMES TO GRIEF.
"Well, this looks as if it was going to be a long-winded search."
"So it does, Ralph; but you must remember that a wild mustang who had
been shut up in a corral for a couple of weeks will feel very much like
stretching his legs when he gets out."
"We must have come at least eight miles."
"It's nearer ten."
"And we haven't seen the least sign of him."
"Oh, yes, we have; we discovered that trail."
"But we are not sure it was the mustang's."
"I take for granted that it was, for I do not believe any other pony
passed this way since it rained."
The boys had not gone on straight ahead, but in a grand semicircle,
until the footprints mentioned had been discovered. Now they were
riding over a broad patch of prairie land, with a belt of timber to the
north and another to the south.
"I wonder if there are any Indians in the vicinity," resumed Ralph, a
while later. "I won't care to fall in with some of those Comanches who
made it so hot for us at the cabin."
"Oh, they were chased a good many miles off, Ralph. Besides, they won't
dare to show up here while they know that all of our best fighters are
massing between Gonzales and San Antonio."
"I wonder how matters are going on at the front. I should think our
army would march on Bexar without delay."
"They don't want to make an attack until they are strong enough to
overcome General Cos's force. He may have considerable reinforcements
by this time."
So the boys talked and rode until noon was passed. Both were now
hungry, and coming to a pool in the prairie surrounded by
mesquite-trees and bushes, they drew rein and tethered their ponies,
and sat down to enjoy the midday meal they had brought along.
Pompey had packed for them a tempting hamper, and the boys remained
over the repast rather longer than anticipated. The sun shone bright,
and as there was no wind, the day was pleasant, even though late in the
season.
"I suppose some day all this territory will be built up with towns and
villages," remarked Dan, as he dug his knife-blade into the earth in a
meditative way. "And when it is, I wonder if the boys of that
generation will ever remember what a howling wilderness it was in our
generation."
"A few will, but not many," laughed Ralph. "We are too much of a
go-ahead people to do much looking back." The youngest Radbury leaped
suddenly to his feet. "What's that, Dan?"
The brother sprang up also, and gave a searching glance in the
direction Ralph pointed out.
"Unless I am greatly mistaken, it's the mustang."
"Just what I thought. He seems to be grazing just at the edge of the
timber. How had we best get at him?"
The matter was talked over for several minutes, and they came to the
conclusion to ride to the timber at some point below where the pony was
grazing and then work up behind him.
"Then, if he bolts, it will be for the prairie," said Dan. "That will
give me a chance to lasso him."
The timber was soon gained, and they skirted this with the silence of
Indians until within a hundred yards of the white mustang. Then the
older brother called another halt.
"Now you take the north side, and I'll keep to the south," said Dan.
"Have you got your lasso ready?"
Ralph had, and it was decided that he should make the first throw, but
not until Dan was prepared to make the second.
With great caution the two boys advanced to the point agreed upon. Then
they rode out to where the lassoes could be used freely.
In the meantime the mustang was grazing peacefully, utterly unconscious
of their presence in the vicinity. But now, as they drew still closer,
he stopped cropping the grass and raised his head as if to listen.
"Throw!" cried Dan, and the lasso left Ralph's hand with a whizzing
sound. A few seconds later Dan made his own cast.
As luck would have it, both landed over the mustang's head, but while
Dan's was drawn tight with great quickness, Ralph's remained loose, so
that in a twinkle the mustang shook it off, and then of course the line
tightened around Dan's lariat instead.
[Illustration: "'HOLD BACK!' YELLED DAN."]
"Hold back!" yelled Dan, as he saw Ralph sit bewildered in the saddle.
"Run off to the other side!"
The younger Radbury attempted to obey, but as quick as a flash the
mustang turned and rushed forward, bringing the lasso around Ralph's
own steed. Then came a snap of the lariat, and Ralph went down, with
the mustang on top of him.
All this took scarcely more time than to describe it, and now Dan found
himself holding the white mustang alone, with Ralph's lariat end
entangled in his own. Then off went the wild animal, kicking and
plunging in a desperate fashion, which even the tightened leather about
his neck did not appear to hinder. His course was straight for the
timber, and he went on dragging Dan's pony after him. It is true the
pony might have held back, but he was not well broken for such a
purpose, having participated in but few round-ups.
"Look out! You'll be killed!" yelled Ralph, as he struggled to get out
from under his pony. The wind had been knocked out of him, but
otherwise he was uninjured.
Dan scarcely heard him, so busy was he trying to bring the white
mustang to a halt. Soon he disappeared into the timber, and then Ralph
arose, mounted the pony once more, and came after him.
The white mustang did not enter the forest far before the lariat around
his neck began to hurt him. He tried to circle around several trees,
and thereby cut himself short to such an extent that he was in great
danger of choking to death.
"Hold my pony!" shouted Dan to Ralph, and slipped to the ground. The
free end of the lariat was passed around a tree and tied, and Dan
sprang forward toward the white mustang, who was now acting as if ready
to give up the battle.
"Easy now, easy," said Dan, soothingly, and watching his chance, he
hopped up on the mustang's back. Immediately the animal bucked and
plunged, trying his best to throw his rider. The lariat was depriving
him of his wind, and of a sudden he stopped short and trembled, as if
about to fall.
Not wishing to strangle the animal now he had caught him, Dan cried to
Ralph to come up and help hobble the steed, that he might walk but not
run. At the same time he continued to talk soothingly to the mustang
and patted him on the neck. Then, fearing he would breathe his last if
the lariat remained as it was, he drew his knife and cut the leather.
In a twinkle the whole manner of the mustang changed, and, before Ralph
could reach his big brother's side, the steed was off like a streak of
lightning, with Dan clinging fast to his neck. Over some low brush the
pair went, and then under some tall pines and out of sight.
"Hi! hi!" cried Ralph, but Dan had too much to do to call back to him.
On and on went the mustang, and the youth could neither stop him, nor
did he dare try to leap to the ground, for fear of a kick from one of
those flying hoofs. It was such a wild ride as Dan never forgot.
By instinct the white mustang seemed to know the best course to pursue,
and went on where the trees were high branched and tolerably far apart.
This was lucky for Dan, for had the limbs been low he must certainly
have been knocked off and killed. He bent as low as he could.
"Go it, if you must," he thought, grimly. "You'll get tired some time.
But I hope you don't go all the way to Bexar."
Fully two miles were covered, when the white mustang came out of the
woods at the edge of a ravine. He ran like the wind until the very edge
was reached, then stopped short all in an instant.
Dan was holding on with might and main, but no boy's grip could
withstand such a shock, and up flew his body, and over the pony's head
he sailed. Then he felt himself going downward, toward the bottom of
the ravine. Some brushwood scratched his hands and face, there followed
a great thump,--and then he knew no more.