If it can be done, this system
will succeed in at least frightening them off for a while. Everybody
prepare to stand extra hours in the saddle."
A line of outriders was established at once, and the herd pushed on, and
for several days there were no evidences that any more of the cattle had
been poisoned.
They were nearing the river, as they could tell by the gradual sloping
of the land to the east, and the flatness of the country.
One afternoon about four o'clock Brock, one of the hired cow-punchers,
came riding into camp as fast as his horse would run, and fell out of
the saddle. He had been shot through the leg, and was almost insensible
from loss of blood when he succeeded in getting in.
When he was able to speak, he said to Ted:
"I was riding picket about two miles off to the west. As I topped a hill
I saw a body of men about a quarter of a mile away. With my glasses I
saw that they were soldiers, and wondered what they were doing so far
from a post, as there isn't one nearer here than Fort Felton."
"Soldiers, eh?" asked Ted. "Cavalry or infantry?"
"Cavalry."
"How many of them were there?"
"I should say about fifty."
"Did they see you?"
"They must have seen me, for I saw them brought to a halt, and remain
that way for several minutes, while the officer was looking at me
through his binoculars.
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