TOM'S STRATEGY 



the going of their unwelcome neighbors; an* their 

 astonishment was greater still to see me ridin' 

 Tucker's fine black horse an' saddle, which they 

 all seemed to recognize at first sight. 



"To explain the situation to 'em, an' how I come 

 to be ridin' Tucker's horse, I had to tell 'em all 

 about the jayhawkers comin' to our camp to try 

 to bluff us out of our mules, an' how we stood 

 'em off; an' about Jack capturin' the big duffer; 

 an' how we made a * spread eagle' of him an' give 

 him a good scaring up with that yarn of the com- 

 pany of cavalry coming; an' how we give him a 

 chance to get away; an' how he got. 



"I told the storekeeper what Jack's plan was, 

 in case an owner for the black horse should turn 

 up; but he don't think the horse b'longs to any 

 one in this part of the country; an' ef anybody 

 comes 'round inquiring for such a horse he's to 

 write to me at Fort Larned. 



"The ol' feller was dreadful uneasy for fear the 

 jayhawkers would find out that we'd gone on out 

 to the plains an' that there was really no com- 

 pany of cavalry behind us and then would come 

 back. But I tol' him not to worry about that, 

 for I believed there would be a company of cav- 

 alry here from Fort Leavenworth before long in 

 answer to that letter he had written to General 

 Hunter. 



"I put another idea into his head, tellin' him 

 that he could help the soldiers to capture or break 



8s 



