Avon Burnet knew that when the cattlemen reached a point within a half mile of his home, and the fire had not yet been started, that all danger was over. It was beyond the power of the assailants, with the slight time at their command, to harm the .  
Then naturally his thoughts turned to his mustang Thunderbolt, that had been left in the mesquite bush with the animal belonging to his uncle. The chances were that the Comanches had captured both, but he was not without hope regarding his own .
 
The steed was so intelligent that he was certain to resist the approach of a stranger at night, especially if he were an Indian. The redskins were so occupied in trying to the death of the Texan and his family, besides being well supplied with their own steeds, that they were not likely to put much effort to capture a single animal.
 
The youth was as eager as his companions to do his part in driving off the red men, but the chance was denied him. The spare horse which he rode, and which he put to his best pace, could not hold his own with the rest, and consequently he arrived at the rear of the procession.
 
He glanced right and left, but caught the outlines of but one figure, whose identity he suspected, because he was in front of the cabin door.
 
“Helloa, uncle, is that you?”
 
“Yes, Avon; I see you have arrived; I hope you suffered no harm.”
 
“Matters were stirring for a time, but I am safe.”
 
At this moment, Mrs. Shirril and Dinah, recognizing the voice, opened the door, the captain them to come outside.
 
The fire was now burning so briskly on the that the interior was well , so that their figures were plainly stamped against the yellow background.
 
“There isn’t anything left for you to do,” said the captain, “so you may as well dismount.”
 
The firing, shouts, and yells came from a remote point in the bush, and were rapidly .
 
Avon came down from his saddle, kissed his aunt, shook hands with his uncle, and to Dinah, who was proud of the handsome fellow.
 
“Uncle,” said he briskly, “what do you suppose, has become of your horse and Thunderbolt?”
 
“Taken off by the Comanches, or killed.”
 
“I suppose that is probable, but I shall make a search for them.”
 
Believing this could be done better on foot, he left the pony in charge of his relative and walked hastily into the bush.
 
“I don’t suppose there is much hope, but I have an idea that maybe Thunderbolt has been wounded and needs looking after. The bullets have been flying pretty thickly during the last few minutes, and for that matter,” he added, pausing a few seconds to listen, “they are not through yet.”
 
On the edge of the bush he encountered a horseman, whose voice, when hailed, showed that he was “.”
 
“What’s the trouble?” asked Avon, pausing to exchange words with his friend.
 
“Aint nothing more to do,” was the response; “the varmints are travelling faster than this horse can go, though he was one of their animals.”
 
“How was that?”
 
“I got it in the neck––that is my critter did. I had one of them pretty well pinned, when he fired from under his horse’s and my pony went down, as dead as a doornail. I came nigh being under him, but I dropped the other chap, for all I couldn’t see him when I drew . I ’spose it was a chance shot, but the minute he went off his horse got so bewildered he didn’t know what to do with himself. While he was about, I catched him, put my on him without trouble, and here I am, Baby.”
 
 
“Sure he isn’t one of ours?” asked Avon, approaching still nearer and looking him over as well as he could in the darkness.
 
“He is now, but he wasn’t fifteen minutes ago.”
 
Knowing that he was not Thunderbolt, the youth was hopeful that it might prove Jack; but it took only a minute to learn that Jersey was right. The steed had been brought to the spot by one of the Comanches and was a fine animal, though so much time passed before the Texan secured him that he was simply in not trying to follow after the red men, who were far beyond reach.
 
Jersey laughed when Avon told him his errand, but said he would not be much surprised if he was successful, for the reasons which have been already stated.
 
There had been hot work in the bush, for when the cattlemen charged the Comanches, they did so with all the of their nature. These Indians were among the most thieves in Texas, and, as the reader knows, the man who attempts to run off another’s cattle or horses commits 185a more flagrant crime in that section of our union than he does when he seeks the owners’ lives.
 
Avon bore to the left, leaving the principal theatre of the scrimmage, and had not reached the border of the mesquite when he almost stumbled over a fine horse that lay on its side, without a particle of life.
 
“I wonder whether that is Thunderbolt,” he said, with a feeling of , as he over to examine the body.
 
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