nished, he fancied he heard a slight sound, but it was
too indefinite to identify.

Had the young man but known that the light which he had seen was burning
on the roof of his own home, and that it was Dinah who extinguished it
so abruptly, he would have shaped his course far differently.

CHAPTER X.

A SURPRISE.

Avon Burnet waited several minutes after the light went out, in the hope
that it would reappear and give him an indication of its nature and
cause; but darkness continued, and he concluded that his first suspicion
was right: some warrior in riding over the prairie had halted to light
his cigar or pipe, and then ridden on to join his comrades near the
cabin.

The youth was in the situation of the mariner who finds himself adrift
in mid-ocean, without compass or rudder. Neither the sky nor the ground
gave him any help, and in order to reach the camp of his friends he
must, under Heaven, rely upon his own skill.

"There's one thing certain," he concluded, "I shall never get there
without making a break. I have secured a pretty good horse, and I may
as well turn him to account."

Heading in the direction which seemed right, he tapped the ribs of the
mustang with his heels, and he broke at once into a sweeping gallop,
which, if rightly directed, was sure to carry him to his destination in
a brief while.

Though it was too much for the young man to believe he was following the
true course, he thought it was near enough for him to discover the
variation before riding far. He ought to reach the crest of some
elevation which would so extend his view that he would catch the gleam
of the camp fire of the cattlemen.

As the pony galloped forward with that swinging gait which he was able
to maintain for hours without fatigue, the rider glanced to the right
and left, in front and rear, on guard lest he ran into unexpected
danger, and guarding against the approach of one or more of his foes.
His horse was tractable, but the rider was disturbed now and then by his
actions.

While going with his swift gait, he occasionally checked his speed so
abruptly that, had the young Texan been a less skilful equestrian, he
would have pitched over his head. At such times he pricked his ears, and
snuffed and threw up his head, as though frightened at something. But
strive all he could, Avon failed to discover the cause of this peculiar
behavior. He could neither hear nor see anything to explain it.

Our young friend