placed his foot in the stirrup and sprang up into the saddle.

"Won't you say good-bye?" he cried.

"No," was the reply, almost in a whisper, and with the darkness coming
on fast now Chris turned away his head and leaned to the farther side of
his pony, to catch hold of the long hide-rope attached to the mule's
snaffle-bit. Then pressing the mustang's sides with his heels, the
brave little beast stepped off boldly, the mule following close behind
at the full length of the lariat, while the boy fixed the star with his
eyes and made for it straight through the gathering gloom, which seemed
to open out to receive him, and then closed in behind, so that after the
first glance backward the boy made no other, for tent-cloth, packs,
saddles, and the horses and mules had been absorbed by the haze.

If he had turned his head though, ever so little, he would have been
able to see Ned standing by his pony; but he felt that he could not do
that for fear of the weak feeling which caused a strange swelling in his
throat increasing and causing a breakdown of the determination to which
he had come.

"I can't do it," he groaned, as he rode on at a walk, and then repeating
the word "Good-bye!" in a whisper, he bent forward a little, gave the
hide lariat a jerk, and pressing his pony's sides, went off at an
ambling trot, the mule following at once with the two barrels rolling
against the wood of the pack-saddle, and with the chains making a
peculiar hollow and jingling sound.

"If it were not so hot!" he muttered then, as he strove to think only of
the object he had in view. "We ought to get over a long distance before
daylight, for I feel as if I shall be able to do it, and the mountains
may be near when the broad daylight comes."

He was getting along at a fair pace now, gazing straight at the planet
and listening to the rattle of the two barrels, when his pony uttered a
sharp neigh, which was followed by a squeal from the mule--two
challenges uttered by those whose hearing was keener than their
master's, and responded to by another neigh from behind.

In less than a minute, and before Chris had made up his mind which of
the ponies was following, there was the beat of hoofs, and something
shadowy closed in from the haze behind, to come close alongside.

"Who's that? You, Ned?"

"Yes," came in a husky voice.

"What do you want?"

"You know. I can't let you go all alone."

"What!" cried the boy, in a hoarse, cracked voic