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“There is. one. thing certain,” said Prof. Drearland,
“we would never be able to reach the coast if we started
\\back the way we came. My advice is to keep on unti}
we strike some civilized people.”
| “Here are hoof prints!” Van exclaimed, suddenly.
\“That proves that Doc Clancy made good his escape.
Where he can go, we surely can, so we will follow the
trail. , vy
. Sure enough, there was the trail made by two horses,
teading on through the wild forest.
« The sun was not over an hour high when the party
set out once more. a :
i “How far do you think we have traveled since we ieft
he coast?” said Jack, addressing the professor.
“About eight hundred miles,” was the reply.
That are what I call somethin’ great,” spoke up Lank
Edwards. “Just think of it!
through ther wildest country on ther face of ther earth,
kn’ only lost one-man! An’ look what we have passed
: through, too. It is enough ter fill a book, I reckon.”
“You are right,” returned Van, “and ever since we have
started we have been chasing a murderer.”
“I think ’ll be the means of’ stoppin’, this. chase of.
jyours, Van,” said the mate. “I'll give it ter ye plain,
tight now, that I am. goin’ ter shoot Doc Clancy ther
jfirst time I git ther chance. I can’t help it, whether you
like it or not; he’s earned his fate a dozen times since I’ve
known him, an’ it’s got ter be done.”
Our hero said nothing to this. He saw that the speaker
meant. what he said, and so he concluded to let things
sptake their own course. , :
| When he came to think over the matter, he concluded
that Lank Edwards was abotit right. If Doe Clancy was
'|killed, the murder of his uncle would be avenged, and-
_ that would settle it.
| The party rode on in silence for the best part of an
hour, scarcely exchanging a word until the edge of the
Orest was reached. Ss Dy
They beheld a long, level plain before them, which
was dotted here and there by small groups. of trees.
| The trail of the two villains was before-them, but al-
ot see a moving object. -
. As the. sun was scorching hot, they concluded to rest
"blazing sun might prove fatal to them, the doctor said.
Selecting a cool, shady spot by the side of a small riv-
julet, the horses were turned upon the luxuriant grass, and
4
ithe party prepared to take the rest they were so much in
Thus far all hands had enjoyed remarkably good health,
but it was owing to the medicines carried by Dr. Pestle.
| It was probably four o’clock in the afternoon when they
‘got ready to start over the plain.
4h Just as they were mounting they saw a number of
orses coming swiftly over the plain toward them.
“Wild horses, I guess,” observed the professor.
y No, they ain’t, either,”; returned Lank Edwards, who
: had been gazing intently (at the approaching animals.
‘ i they ain’t wild horses, nohow, ’cause wild horses ain't
. likely to have men on their backs, an’ these fellers have.”
' 4 (What !” gasped our hero, “A party of mounted men?’
That’s just what it. are,” was the. reply.
Eight hundred miles ~
though they looked carefully over the plain, they could -
ntil toward evening. A long ride under the rays of the»
“Let’s get under the cover of these trees and wait till
they get a little nearer,” suggested Jack.
They.at once did so.
Ten minutes more and all were satisfied that the horses —
~ were mounted. we
There were about fifty of them, and at the head of the
column were two-men in civilized dress.
It did not take our ‘hero long to see that these two”
were Doc Clancy and the. villain who had joined his *
forces with him.
He knew then that the scoundrels were bent on wiping
them out. In some manner they must have come across.
BRAVE AND BOLD. 5
Z
the horsemen and made friends with them, and then got™
them to assist in their vile purpose. ‘
“What do you propose to do?” our hero asked, turning
to his friends.
“Tl tell yer what I’m a-goin’ ter do,” said Lank Ed- -
wards. “I’m a-goin’.ter wait till they git near enough,”
an’ then I’m a-goin’ ter shoot Doc Clancy, an’ ther other.
feller, too, if I kin. - If them fellers on ther horses behind’ _
‘em can’t fight any better than they kin ride, I think we
kin clean out ther whole business easy enough.”
Nearer and nearer approached the horsemen, and. our.
friends could see that the mate was right when he said
they were not good riders. ; re
For the most part, they appeared more like drunken -
men than anything else, by the manner in which they —
wabbled about. :
When the approaching band was within five hundred
yards of our friends, Lank Edwards’ rifle suddenly flew to—
his shoulder and two reports rang out in rapid succession.
Both Doc Clancy and his companion threw up ‘their
hands and fell to the ground.
=,
CHAPTER XVI.
A REMARKABLE DISCOVERY.
The two villains had no sooner tumbled from their
steeds than the rest of the horses scattered in every direc-
tion, their riders flopping about upon them like a set of —
scarecrows.
“By thunder!” ejaculated Lank Edwards. “If them _ ,
ain’t dummies on them horses I’m a living sinner!”
“You are right,” returned Van. _ “Come !-we ‘will go
out and see if Doc Clancy and his parther are really dead.”
The words scarcely left our hero’s lips when Doc _
his feet, and, mounting his |
horse, sped away with the speed of the wind.
Clancy suddenly sprang to
It all happened so quickly that our friends were un-
able to make a move to stop him. -
Lank Edwards again raised his ‘rifle to his shoulder,
- and was about to shoot at the fleeing villain, when Van
detained him.
“Don’t!” said he.
possible.” _
“But he'll git away,” persisted the mate.
“Well, let him; we will catch him again.”
The horses with the dummies upon their backs now
started at a sharp gallop after the one rode. by Doc
Clancy.
Van led the way to the spot where the other scoundrel
lay, and found him breathing heavily, with a wound in his
right breast. Se ’ we
“I want to capture him alive, if
. i