"Let his cayuse pick its way, Tex—told you he could n’t go fast last night. Bet a dollar we come to where he slept afore long—an’ say! luck ’s with us, shore. Notice how he was bearin’—a little off th’ course all th’ time—that gray of his must a’ come from som’ers up north. He had to correct that when he could see where th’ Pass lay—come on, we ’ll try another cut-off, an’ a big one."
"Yo ’re right—we ’ll gain a hour, easy," Tex replied as they shot off at a tangent for the distant mountain range on a line for the Pass. The sun was two hours higher when Tex laughed aloud, stretching his hand across his friend’s horse and pointing some distance ahead of him. "There’s th’ track again, Hoppy," he cried, "you was right—see it?"
Hopalong waited until they swept up along the fresh trail before he replied and the reply was characteristic of him. "Pushin’ th’ gray hard, Tex. Them toe prints are purty deep—an’ d—d if th’ gray ain’t havin’ trouble with his bad laig! See that off fore hoofmark? See how it ain’t as deep as its mate? Th’ gray’s favorin’ that laig, an’ only for one reason: it hurts him more when he don’t. Move away a little, Tex; don’t do no good to be bunched so close where there ’s so much cover. He ain’t a long way off, judgin’ from them tracks. We don’t know that he ain’t doubled back to pick us off as we near him."
Tex tightened his knee-grip and rowelled his spurs lightly along the side of his mount, darting ahead with Hopalong speeding up to catch him. It was a test to see how the horses were holding up and when the animals took up the new speed and held it with plenty of reserve strength, the two men let them go.
As they shot down a rough, sloping trail to a shallow creek, flowing noisily along the bottom of a wild arroyo, Hopalong looked ahead eagerly and called to Tex to slow down to a walk. Tex, surprised, obeyed and took the reins of the bay as Hopalong went ahead to cross the stream on foot. But Tex’s surprise was only momentary; he quickly understood the reason for the play and he warmed to his sagacious friend while he admired his skill.
Hopalong waded the stream and looked carefully around on both side of the tracks where they left the water. Motioning Tex to come ahead, he grinned as the other obeyed. "Did n’t want to splash no fresh water around here till I saw if th’ water Dave splashed was all soaked up. It is; but th’ spots is moist. An’ another thing: see th’ prints o’ that hoof where he takes up an’ sets down—where is he lame?"