in the grass. The others uttered a
terrific yell of rage, and a half-dozen darted away in the bushes.

"I ain't no prophet, nor the son uv a prophet," said Long Jim, "but I'll
bet my scalp that in an hour or two they'll come back without Shif'less
Sol."

"I won't take your bet," said Paul. "Six warriors started away in
pursuit, and now we'll see how many return."

"The first will be back in an hour," said Long Jim, "'cause Sol won't
leave no trail a-tall, a-tall. He made shore uv that afore shootin'."

"I believe you are a prophet, Jim," said Paul. "Let's watch together."

Within the appointed hour two warriors returned, bringing with them
nothing that they had not taken away, and sat down in the opening, their
attitude that of dejection.

"They never struck no sign of no trail, nowhere, nohow," said Long Jim,
exultantly.

"Too many negatives, Jim," said Paul, reprovingly.

"Too many what?" exclaimed Long Jim, staring. "I never heard of them
things afore!"

"It's all right anyhow. There comes another warrior, and he too bears no
bright blonde scalp, such as adorns the head of our faithful and
esteemed comrade, Solomon Hyde."

"That's three 'counted fur, an' three to come. I know, Paul, that Sol
will git away, that they can't foller him nohow, but I'd like fur them
three to come back empty handed right now. It would be awful to lose
good old Sol. Uv course he's always wrong when he argys with me, but I'm
still hopin' some day to teach him somethin', an' I don't want to lose
him."

Paul saw deep anxiety on the face of Long Jim. These two were always in
controversy, but they were bound together by all the ties of the border,
and the loss of either would be a crushing blow to the other.

Long minutes dragged by and became an hour, and the face of Jim Hart
expressed apprehension.

"It's time fur at least one more to come back," he said.

"Well, there he is," said Paul. "Don't you see him stepping out of those
bushes on the east?"

"Has he anything at his belt?" asked Long Jim eagerly.

"Nothing that he doesn't usually carry. He has no yellow scalp, nor any
scalp of any kind. Empty he went away and empty he has returned."

"So fur, so good. Two more are left out, an' it'll now be time fur them
to come trampin' back."

"Be patient, Jim, be patient."

"I am, but you must rec'lect, Paul, that thar comin' back soon means the
life uv a man, a man that's one uv us five, an' that we could never
furgit ef so