John held out his hand to his old comrade. “I repeat, that I am the happiest man alive, with the prospect of calling my two best friends my brothers. I’ve been waiting for you to come in, old fellow, so as to hear your story, and Steve’s. I don’t know how these girls feel; they may be satisfied to wait, but I confess I have an attack of curiosity that would do credit to Hannah Maria Haley, and I want to hear your stories.” “They are pretty much of a oneness,” said Neal, “from the time I struck Steve’s trail. If he isn’t too tuckered out with this day’s journey, let him start in and I’ll come up at the finish.” “Oh, I can talk now,” said Steve. “I’ve got the rest of time to rest in.” “Begin back there with the day you left these parts,” said John. “We’ve been waiting three years to know why you didn’t meet us at Denton the day we came in from the States.” “Then I’ll begin right there,” said Steve. “I was starting home across the prairie that day, when first thing I knew, whiz, came a rope through the air and I was jerked off my horse to the ground. At first I thought it was Injuns, but presently I saw three men, two white men and a Mexican. One swung his rope and made after my horse, Hero, who galloped off at such a pretty pace that he got away. All three men put after him, and I was dragged along the ground till I got pretty sick of it and was as battered as an old cocked hat. Well, as I said, Hero up with his heels and streaked it like the wind, and the fellows didn’t get him. After they had bumped me around till I felt as if my bones had all shifted place, they picked me up and carried me off to a little old cabin in the woods. Then I saw that the three men were Pike Smith, old Cy Sparks and a greaser. It was Pike that had roped me. He had a grudge against me because he had his eye on Hero when I bought him, and I got ahead of him in the deal. He swore then that he’d get even with me, and I ought to have been looking out for trouble. Cy had been so keen for the horse he hadn’t noticed that Pike was amusing himself with playing I was a dog at the end of a string, and he was right smart put out about it; said they weren’t after men, and swore he’d inform on Pike if he tried to get rid of me. Pike told him he reckoned there was information to be given on both sides, and he could send Cy to kingdom come if he chose. They had it hot and heavy for awhile. Pike had a nasty temper and vowed he’d rid the world of me, but Cy finally said he could get Pike’s neck in a halter without implicating himself, and he would do it pretty quick if Pike offered to do me harm. So after a while Pike compromised by saying he was sick of seeing me around anyhow, and he meant to get me out of the country for one while. So they settled on that. An old Mexican woman nursed me like a mother and in two or three days I was packed on a mule and taken along by Pike, and the man, Carlos, with a lot of horses over the border. Cy didn’t go along.