"Exactly," replied the man. "Stole two horses at Black Bird
last night at ten o'clock. Holt County Anti-Horse-thief
Association after 'em this morning at four. That's the way we do
business in this country!"
We drove on, and Jack said:
"What the Association wants to do is to buy Old Blacky and
put him in a pasture for bait. In the morning the members can go
out and gather up a wagon-load of disabled horse-thieves that
have tried to steal him in the night and got kicked over the
fence."
We either met or saw a dozen other men on horseback, always
in pairs; but whether or not they caught the thief we never
heard.
[Illustration: Jack Shoots a Grouse]
So far we had had very poor luck in finding game; but in the
afternoon of this day Jack shot a grouse, and we camped rather
earlier than usual, so that he might have ample time to cook it.
There were also the plums and grapes to stew. We made our camp
not far from a house, and, after a vast amount of extremely
serious labor on the part of the cook, had a very good supper.
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