EBEN SHOWS HIS COLORS.
"Say, pilgrim, have you seen a boy dressed in store clothes, and
carrying a rifle in his hands, pass along the trail this morning?"
inquired the horseman.
The concealed runaway, who had taken care to leave a little opening
among the quilts, so that he could hear all that was said, trembled
violently as the familiar tones fell upon his ear.
It was the hunter, sure enough. He held his breath in suspense, while
he waited for the emigrant's reply.
"Nary boy," drawled the man. "There aint nobody passed this camp since
sundown last night."
"Then he must have left the trail and taken to the grass," said Eben.
"I've missed him somewhere, but I'll find him if I have to hunt the
whole country over."
"Has he been a-doing of anything?"
"I should say he had. He stole over three hundred dollars out of my
saddle-bags early this morning."
The exclamations this statement called forth from the emigrant and his
wife made Frank tremble again.
What if they should take it into their heads to believe Eben's story
instead of his own? The emigrant's next words, however, put him
somewhat at his ease.
"Well, I aint seen him go past here," said he. "What do you reckon
you'll do with him if you ketch him?"
The hunter did not answer the question in words. He drew his revolver
and held it off at arm's length, as if he were taking aim at something,
at the same time digging his heels into the sides of his horse, which
sprang away at the top of his speed.
When Eben was out of sight, the emigrant stepped upon the wagon-tongue
and called to Frank:
"Look here, neighbor," he exclaimed, "that man says you robbed him! How
is that?"
"There isn't a word of truth in it," replied Frank. "He never had his
hands on the money I've got in my pocket. Did you take a good look at
him? Well, now take a good look at me, and make up your mind which of
us you would rather believe."
"There's something in that," said the emigrant. "You look like an
honest boy, and I hope you be. You'd best stay in there a spell, I
reckon. That feller may come back after a while, and if he gets his eye
on you, I am afraid it will go hard with you. I'll hand you in a bite
to eat."
The emigrant stepped down from the wagon-tongue, and when he came back
again, he placed in Frank's hand a tin plate, containing a piece of
bacon and corn-bread, and a quart cup filled with coffee. He and his
family ate their breakfast while seated around the fire.
When the meal was over, the mules were hitched to the wagon, the woman
and her children climbed in, and the emigrant mounted his seat and
drove off.
They had not been on the trail more than two hours before Frank, who
was constantly on the watch, discovered Eben coming back. The instant
he caught sight of him he made a dash for his hiding-place, and the
emigrant and his wife covered him up with the quilts.
There was no need of all this trouble, however, for the hunter never
looked toward the wagon as he galloped by, and only shook his head
sullenly when the emigrant asked him if he had found the boy of whom he
was in search.
Frank's adventures on the plains were now ended. For a few hours he
was extremely nervous and uneasy, and always sought his hiding-place
whenever a horseman wearing a military overcoat made his appearance on
the trail behind them; but Eben was a good many miles away, and it was
a long time before Frank heard of him again.
He remained with the hospitable emigrant until they arrived at one of
the stations of the Overland Stage Company, and there he took leave of
him and his family, after presenting the man with his rifle, according
to promise, and secured a seat in a coach bound for Atchison.
Having seen him fairly on his way toward home, we will bid him good-by
for the present, and return to Leon, whom we left fast asleep on his
blanket.
When Frank had been gone a little more than an hour, and the first gray
streaks of dawn were beginning to make their appearance in the east,
Eben suddenly sat up and looked about him.
After stretching his arms and yawning, he arose and mended the fire;
and it was while he was thus engaged that he discovered Frank's bed was
empty.
He looked toward the place where the horses were staked out, and
saw that they were all there, but he noticed that Frank's rifle and
overcoat were gone, and his suspicions were aroused at once.
Stepping quickly to Leon's side, he seized him by the shoulder and
shook him roughly.
"Pilgrim! pilgrim!" he shouted, in stentorian tones. "Wake up here!
That pardner o' your'n 's skipped!"
Leon was wide awake in an instant. He looked toward Frank's bed, and,
uttering an exclamation of alarm, caught up his saddle-bags, unbuckled
one of the flaps, and thrust his hand into the pocket.
Everything that ought to have been there _was_ there except the article
of which he was in search.
He tumbled the contents of both pockets on the ground, tossed them in
all directions, but the little round package, wrapped in a piece of
newspaper, was not to be found.
"It's gone!" gasped Leon, his hands falling helplessly by his side.
"You don't mean the money?" cried the hunter, whose excitement was
fully equal to Leon's.
"Yes, I do mean the money," replied the boy, who felt like yelling with
indignation. "It beats me how he got it, for I have kept a close watch
over it ever since he told me that he wanted to go home. There were
more than three hundred dollars in that roll, too."
The hunter muttered something that sounded very much like the heaviest
kind of an imprecation.
"You're a nice one to have money!" said he angrily. "Why didn't you
keep it in your pocket?"
"Because I was afraid it would work out and get lost. Where are you
going?" said Leon, as the hunter turned and ran toward his horse.
"I'm going to have that money back," said Eben, in savage tones. "He
can't be far off, for he hasn't been gone long enough to put many miles
between him and us. He was in his bed the last time I fixed the fire,
and fast asleep, too, for I saw him. If I come up with him, he'll never
steal any more money, I bet you!"
"Don't be too hard on him," said Leon, who did not like the expression
he saw in his companion's face. "He is my cousin, you know."
"I don't care if he's the President's cousin! We make short work of
thieves in this country. You stay and watch the camp until I come back."
Eben put the saddle and bridle on his horse in a remarkably short space
of time, and, springing upon his back, galloped away, paying no heed
to Leon's repeated request that he would not harm Frank if he succeeded
in overtaking him.
"I am really afraid that boy has got himself into a box," thought Leon,
as he settled back on his hard bed. "I never saw a man in such a rage
as Eben is. He takes a good deal of interest in my affairs, but I hope
he'll not let his zeal carry him too far. Frank has got me into a box,
too, for if I should grow tired of life in the mountains, and conclude
to go back to the States, how am I to get there?"
The indignation Leon felt when he first discovered that his money had
been stolen, had given away to a feeling of uneasiness.
He was certain that Eben would overtake his cousin. A boy on foot could
not possibly escape from a man on horseback, especially on the plains,
and if he would simply bring him back and hand over the three hundred
dollars, all would be well; but he was afraid that the angry hunter
might take it into his head to punish Frank in some way.
He felt the loss keenly, but he was not troubled concerning the future.
Eben had told him that the traders, who were located at the various
posts during the winter, were in the habit of furnishing supplies on
credit to responsible hunters and trappers, who would bind themselves
to sell their furs to no one but the man of whom the supplies were
obtained.
So the loss of his money would not prevent him and Eben from spending a
few months in the mountains, as they had intended to do.
But still he wanted funds to use, in case of emergency, and he hoped
that Eben would succeed in overtaking Frank.
Leon did not cook any breakfast, for he could not have eaten a mouthful
if he had tried; his anxiety and suspense were too great.
He spent four hours in walking back and forth between the camp-fire and
the trail, and presently he saw Eben coming back.
The expression his face wore when he rode up made Leon afraid to speak
to him. It was evident that he had had his trouble for his pains.
While the boy was wondering how Frank could have effected his escape,
the hunter dismounted, and walking over to the place where the two
mustangs were staked out, he cut the lariats with which they were
confined, and set them at liberty.
This done, he hurried into the camp, and, without saying a word,
proceeded to gather up all the articles Frank had left behind, as well
as those belonging to Leon.
He picked up the saddle-bags, all the blankets, the meal-bags which
contained the boys' clothing, and threw them across the neck of his
horse.
After balancing them so that they would not fall off, he came back
and picked up Leon's double-barrel, and also the powder-flask and
shot-pouch belonging to it.
"What are you going to do?" asked the boy, who had watched the singular
movements with surprise, not unmingled with alarm.
"I am off for the mountains," answered Eben in sullen tones. "I have
the best notion in the world to knock you over before I go for not
keeping that money in your pocket where it belonged."
"But what are you taking my horse for? If you are going to the
mountains, why can't I go with you?"
The hunter made no reply. He sprang upon the back of his own horse and
galloped away, followed by the liberated mustangs, and leaving Leon
standing beside the fire, almost overwhelmed with astonishment and
terror.