“You take your own way, Ben, and I’ll take mine,” says Starlight rather fierce, and then father left off and went to do something or other, while us two took our horses and rode out. We hadn’t a long time to be in the old Hollow now. It had been a good friend to us in time of need, and we was sorry in a kind of way to leave it. We were going to play for a big stake, and if we lost we shouldn’t have another throw in.

Our horses were in great buckle now; they hadn’t been doing much lately. I had the one I’d brought with me, and a thorough bred brown horse that had been broken in the first season we came there.

Starlight was to ride Rainbow, of course, and he had great picking before he made up his mind what to choose for second horse. At last he pitched upon a thoroughbred bay mare named Locket that had been stolen from a mining township the other side of the country. She was the fastest mare they’d ever bred—sound, and a weight-carrier, too.

“I think I’ll take Locket after all,” says he, after thinking about it best part of an hour. “She’s very fast and a stayer. Good-tempered too, and the old horse has taken up with her. It will be company for him.”

“Take your own way,” I said, “but I wouldn’t chance her. She’s known to a lot of jockey-boys and hangers-on. They could swear to that white patch on her neck among a thousand.”

“If you come to that, Rainbow is not an every-day horse, and I can’t leave him behind, can I? I’ll ship him, if I can, that’s more. But it won’t matter much, for we’ll have to take back tracks all the way. You didn’t suppose we were to ride along the mail road, did you?”

“I didn’t suppose anything,” says I, “but that we were going to clear out the safest way we could. If we’re to do the swell business we’d better do it apart, or else put an advertisement into the Turon Star that Starlight, Marston, and Co. are giving up business and going to leave the district, all accounts owing to be sent in by a certain date.”

“A first-rate idea,” says he. “I’m dashed if I don’t do it. There’s nothing like making one’s exit in good form. How savage Morringer will be! Thank you for the hint, Dick.”