The Comanche must have been disgusted. He had been trying for some time to steal the mustang of Avon Burnet, with the result that the was about to steal him, unless he prevented it .  
The Indian heard the whistle from the edge of the bush, and the instant increase of speed, on the part of the stubborn mustang, made the meaning clear to him. He did not know but that three or four Texans were waiting in the mesquite, and that, if he stayed on the back of the steed a minute longer, he would be carried directly into their arms.
 
Consequently he did not hesitate. He went off of Thunderbolt, as if struck by a ball, and, heading out on the prairie, ran with might and main, quickly disappearing in the darkness, and was seen no more.
 
“Ah, my own Thunderbolt!” exclaimed the delighted Avon, patting the nose of his beast, who was as happy as he at being restored to his young master; “I thought I would never see you again, but here you are.”
 
He sprang upon the bare back, and the pony started through the bush for the cabin.
 
Arriving there, matters were found in a satisfactory shape. Ballyhoo Gleeson was the only cowboy that had remained behind with Captain Shirril. The rest had started to look after the cattle. It has been shown that a number had been stampeded, and since all care was necessarily from the others, they were likely to follow suit. Then, too, it was probable that the Comanches would see their chance of securing some of the , and would make the attempt despite the rough handling they had received.
 
Nothing could have more strikingly the fact that our friends were accustomed to their wild, dangerous life, than the manner in which they now acted. A half hour before, the little family within the cabin considered themselves in such of being 193burned to death that they allowed young Burnet to run the greatest risk to secure help, before it was too late.
 
But now Captain Shirril and Ballyhoo Gleeson sat before the fire, that was burning brightly, smoking their pipes, and talking as though the occurrence was of the most ordinary nature. The ranchman had made sure of his supply of tobacco, and intended to ride back to camp, after spending an hour or so within the house.
 
Everyone had eaten supper before the lively incidents opened, and Mrs. Shirril now resumed her sitting in front of the fire, occasionally taking part in the words of her husband and guests. Dinah was heard muttering angrily to herself upstairs, as she investigated the damages done by the visitor in her apartment.
 
Avon, on his return, told his uncle about his horse, explaining that he was fortunate enough to recover Thunderbolt.
 
“You were luckier than I supposed you would be,” said the captain, as his nephew drew up his chair near them.
 
 
“Do you think,” asked the wife, “that the Comanches will trouble us further, husband?”
 
“There is no danger,” he replied, calmly his pipe; “is there, Ballyhoo?”
 
“None at all,” was the calm response.
 
“I thought perhaps that because they had suffered so , they would come back to revenge themselves,” ventured the little woman, still busily her needle.
 
“But you see the damage was done, not by you and Dinah, though you did your part, but by the men, and them’s the ones they’ll go for,” observed Ballyhoo.
 
“That is not the invariable rule with Indians,” was the remark of Mrs. Shirril. “It makes little difference to them whether the innocent or guilty suffer.”
 
“But,” said the husband, “the prime object of the redskins is cattle, with perhaps horses thrown in. You know they have been hanging round for a number of days, waiting for a chance before we started north; they will make an effort to run off those stampeded cattle to-night, and likely enough will follow us into the Indian Nation, on the watch for a chance to gather in several hundred .”
 
“I think there’s one thing that’s encouraging,” said Avon, addressing all his friends; “you know how dry the roof of the house is. If Dinah hadn’t put her foot down when she did, there would have been no cabin at this moment. The Comanches tried to fire the sides, and failing in that, gave their attention to the roof, where they came so near succeeding.”
 
“What do you refer to as encouraging, Avon?” asked his uncle.
 
“There’s a storm in the air; we are going to have a regular driving rain, that will soak the roof until a ton of live-coals on the top wouldn’t set fire to the planking.”
 
“Baby is right,” said Ballyhoo, with a nod of his head; “rain will fall within twelve hours.”
 
“That is good news,” said the wife, with a pleased look; “I shall now see the captain and the rest of you leave without a as concerns ourselves.”
 
“You wouldn’t feel frightened, Edna, if old Wygwind and his gang of should come down upon you?” asked the captain, looking sideways, with an expression of and love glowing from his shaggy face.
 
“I don’t pretend to say we would not be frightened, but Dinah and I would feel secure inside, so long as there was no danger of the building being burned. I wonder whether Wygwind led this party.”
 
“I shouldn’t be surprised if he did; he’s one of the worst scamps that ever lived.”
 
“You’re right,” Ballyhoo. “I believe he led this gang, though a chap couldn’t tell in the darkness. You know what a thief he is.”
 
The was to the notorious Comanche Wygwind, ............