"They took them in yonder, to brand," he said, straightening
himself. "Maybe we'll be in time."
Side by side the three men rode off Guzman's land, following the
tracks to the nearest point of woods; there Law stopped to give
his directions.
"Pedro, you ride down this side; Ricardo, you skirt the outside. I
shall keep to the middle. Walk your horses, for I shall go
slowly." He slipped his carbine from its scabbard; the others did
the same.
But Dave's plan did not commend itself to Ricardo; the old man's
face puckered into an expression of doubt, and, removing his hat,
he ran a hand over his wiry, short-cropped, white hair.
"Senor," he protested, "I know something about these men, and they
will not wait to learn that you are an officer. Perhaps I had
better ride with you."
But Law declined the well-meant offer, and with a dubious shake of
the head Ricardo rode away, while Dave guided Bessie Belle into
the grove.
The mare seemed to know that something unusual was afoot. Perhaps
some nervous tensity of her rider made itself felt, perhaps with
equine sagacity she had understood from the first the nature of
this scouting expedition.
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