"No," said Steptoe harshly. "BEFORE me,--do you hear? And if anything
happens BEHIND you, don't look! If I drop off, don't stop! Don't get
down, but go on and leave me. Do you understand?" he repeated almost
savagely.
"Yes," said the boy tremulously.
"All right," said the father, with a softer voice, as he passed his one
arm round the boy's body and lifted the reins. "Hold tight when we come
to the cross-roads, for we'll take the first turn, for old luck's sake,
to the Mission."
They were the last words exchanged between them, for as they wheeled
rapidly to the left at the cross-roads, Jack Hamlin and Demorest swung
as quickly out of another road to the right immediately behind them.
Jack's challenge to "Halt!" was only answered by Steptoe's horse
springing forward under the sharp lash of the riata.
"Hold up!" said Jack suddenly, laying his hand upon the rifle which
Demorest had lifted to his shoulder. "He's carrying some one,--a wounded
comrade, I reckon. We don't want HIM. Swing out and go for the horse;
well forward, in the neck or shoulder."
Demorest swung far out to the right of the road and raised his rifle. As
it cracked Steptoe's horse seemed to have suddenly struck some obstacle
ahead of him rather than to have been hit himself, for his head went
down with his fore feet under him, and he turned a half-somersault on
the road, flinging his two riders a dozen feet away.
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