Chapter 81

           Withoutsuspicionthathehadbeenseenleavingthehouse—exceptbyPluto,whohadsaddledthegreymustang—Calhounrodeonacrosstheprairie.

           Equallyunsuspiciouswashe,inpassingthepointwhereZebStumpstoodcrouchinginconcealment.

           Inthedimlightofthemorninghesupposedhimselfunseenbyhumaneye;andhereckednotofanyother.

           Afterpartingfromthetimberedborder,hestruckofftowardstheNueces;ridingatabrisktrot—nowandthenincreasingtoacanter.

           Porthefirstsixoreightmileshetookbutlittlenoteofaughtthatwasaround.Anoccasionalglancealongthehorizonseemedtosatisfyhim;andthisextendedonlytothatportionofthevastcirclebeforehisface.Helookedneithertotherightnortheleft;andonlyoncebehind—aftergettingsomedistancefromtheskirtofthechapparal.

           Beforehimwastheobject—stillunseen—uponwhichhisthoughtswerestraying.

           Whatthatobjectwasheandonlyoneotherknew—thatotherZebStump—thoughlittledidCalhounimaginethatmortalmancouldhaveasuspicionofthenatureofhisearlyerrand.

           Theoldhunterhadonlyconjecturedit;butitwasaconjectureofthetruthofwhichhewasascertain,asiftheex-captainhadmadehimhisconfidant.HeknewthatthelatterhadgoneoffinsearchoftheHeadlessHorseman—inhopesofrenewingthechaseofyesterday,withabetterchanceofeffectingacapture.

           ThoughbestridingasteedfleetasaTexanstag,Calhounwasbynomeanssanguineofsuccess.