This made it evident that he intended to make either the pony or the mule carry it home for him. He wanted to catch the mule, knowing him to be a valuable animal; but that sagacious quadruped had evidently had quite enough to do with Lish, for, when the man approached, he turned his heels toward him, laid back his ears, and seemed so anxious to get a kick at him that the robber dared not go near him. So he was obliged to content himself with the guide’s pony, which offered no resistance as Lish caught him by the foretop and led him toward the cabin. After slipping a bridle over his head and placing his plunder upon his back, the wolfer took a last look at the gorge and led the pony up the valley out of sight, the mule following quietly at his heels. CHAPTER XXXVI. THE TABLES TURNED. When the wolfer had disappeared, Oscar arose from his place of concealment and walked slowly toward the cabin. While on the way his attention was attracted by the actions of the mule; which, after following the pony a short distance down the valley, stopped and brayed after him, as if urging him to come back. Oscar supposed that he would, of course, go off with the mustang (the two animals never seemed to be easy when they were out of sight of each other), but the mule showed no desire to do anything of the kind. He called to his companion several times, and then, turning about, galloped up to Oscar and brayed at him, as if he were trying to tell him how lonely he was. “So you are going to stay with me, are you?” said the boy dolefully. “That is very kind of you. I must give you back to your master in the spring, and if you had gone off, I should have been two hundred dollars more out of pocket; but where I should have raised the money to pay for you is more than I can tell. Come on, old fellow!” The mule followed Oscar toward the cabin, and would probably have gone in there with him, if the door had not been closed in his face. Oscar was gone but a minute, and when he came back he had a piece of hard tack in his hand. He gave the mule a bite of it, and, holding the rest just in front of his nose, led him around to his quarters and shut him up. Oscar felt a little easier after that. Having put it out of the mule’s power to run after his companion, the young taxidermist went back into the cabin to see how things looked there. It was in the greatest confusion; but, without wasting any time in useless repining, he set to work to restore order.