When half an hour had passed, both boys began to grow a little anxious. They knew that, undoubtedly, those in charge of the expedition must have been holding a council of war, and deciding on the course to be carried out.
“Wait here for me, Bob,” Frank whispered.
“Where are you going?” asked the other, suspiciously; for he wanted to be in any move, as well as did his chum.
“Just to see dad, and find out what’s doing. I’ll sure be back again right away,” Frank told him.
“All right. You’ll find me here, lying like a log,” grunted Bob. “Fact is, if this keeps on, I’ll just turn into one, I’m getting that stiff in the legs.”
Frank crept away softly, and the Kentucky boy continued to stretch out in the dense shadows, listening to the sounds that came from the camp not very far away. A soft murmuring sound told Bob that he was near some spring, possibly that which supplied the drinking water for the camp; and in running down the side of the valley it evidently also satisfied the thirst of the cattle in the corral near by.
In not more than ten minutes, though perhaps it seemed much longer than that to Bob, his chum crawled alongside again.
“Oh! they’ve got it all arranged,” Frank answered, between gasps; for he was breathing hard, after his recent exertions.
“You mean about capturing the herd, Frank?”
“I mean about making prisoners of the rustlers,” replied the other; “because, you understand, we couldn’t run the cattle out of this place without first clipping the claws of Mendoza and his crowd.”
“I suppose that’s so,” replied Bob; “because such a big bunch of long-horns must make considerable racket when on the jump.”
“Sure; but then that isn’t the only thing,” Frank remarked.
“What else would hinder us running ’em off?” his chum demanded.
“’Sh! not so loud, Bob. Drop down to the whisper again. Why, stop and think, how do you suppose cattle could run along that path where you nearly took a header, and in the dark too?”
“Shucks! I should say so, Frank. Funny now I didn’t think of that. Why, to be sure, the chances are, half of ’em would drop over. It’s bad enough in daylight, let alone with that tricky moon, or the darkness. Well, go on; what’s to be done?”
“I’ll tell you,” Frank continued. “The scheme is this—to wait ’till later in the night; then perhaps we’ll find a chance to shut the crowd up in one of the cabins, that biggest one, it might be. While some kept the rustlers there, the rest of us, at dawn, could start the herd going. Once out of this valley they couldn’t hold us from driving the cattle home.”