them to do likewise. But Bob and his companions were
in no hurry. They lingered a long time over their homely meal, and then
the smokers were allowed to empty a pipe apiece before the order was
given to "catch up." The squatter began to breathe easier after that,
and when he saw the troopers in their saddles and ready to start, his
delight was so apparent that they all noticed it.

"Wa'l, good-bye, if you must go," said he cheerily. "Will you stop when
you come back?"

"Oh, you needn't expect to see us here again," said Bob. "If we go to
Brazos City, we shall take a short cut across the country when we
return to the fort."

"That's where I reckon they're goin', as I told you; an' my advice would
be for you to go straight to Brazos, without stoppin' on the way, an'
when they get there you'll be all ready to take 'em in. See?"

"Yes, I see," answered Bob, "and it's something worth thinking
of.--Forward, column left! Trot! gallop!"

The troopers moved rapidly away from the cabin, and, to the intense
surprise and indignation of all his followers, who thought that their
corporal had been deceived by the squatter, Bob led them off toward the
old Brazos trail. At length one of them ventured to remonstrate.

"Corporal," said he, "you're going wrong."

"I know it," answered Bob.--"Carey, tell us what you saw in that cabin.
Were our suspicions correct?"

"Indeed they were," was Carey's reply. "In the first place, that stove
was all right, but the squatter didn't want us to use it, for Bryant was
hiding in the cabin. He was lying on the floor, covered up with a
blanket."

"How do you know it was Bryant?" asked Bob. "Did you see his face?"

"No, I didn't; it was concealed by the blanket. I saw his feet," said
Carey; and his answer was received by the troopers with a sigh of
satisfaction. It was all that was needed to establish the identity of
the man who had taken refuge in the squatter's cabin.

"I didn't think I could be wrong," observed Bob, "for that man condemned
himself before we had been in his presence ten minutes."

"Why don't you go back and snatch Bryant?" demanded one of the troopers,
seeing that the corporal did not slacken his pace. "Why didn't you do it
while we were at the cabin?"

"Because I had no right to do it," answered Bob. "If I should go to
searching houses, I might get myself into trouble with the colonel.
Another thing, boys: I shouldn't care to enter that man's castle to look
for anything