Applehead grinned
and pointed to the now familiar hoofprints which they had followed so far.
"I calc'late Ramon done a heap uh millin' around back there in that rocky
arroyo," he observed, "'fore he struck off over here. Er else they was held up
fer some reason, 'cause them tracks is fresher a hull lot than what them was
that passed the Injun ranch. Musta laid over here las' night, by the looks.
But I figgered that we'd best camp whilst we had water, 'n' take up the trail
agin at daybreak. Ain't that about the way you see it, Luck?"
"Why, certainly," Luck assured him with as much heartiness as his utter
weariness would permit. "Men and horses, we're about all in. If Ramon was just
over the next ridge, I don't know but it would pay to take our rest before we
overhaul them."
"They's grass here, yuh notice," Applehead pointed out. "I'll put the bell on
Johnny, and if Pink'll bobble that buckskin that's allus wantin' to wander off
by hisself, I calc'late we kin settle down an' rest our bones quite awhile
b'fore anybody needs to go on guard. Them ponies ain't goin' to stray fur off
if they don't have to, after the groun' they covered t'day--now I'm tellin'
yuh! They'll save their steps.
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