Page:Rover Boys in the Air.djvu/240

224 "How far away from here is that place?" went on Dick.

"About a mile an' a half, sah. But the road 'am putty stony an' rough, sah."

"Can a fellow ride horseback on those horses?"

"Yo might, sah, if yo' had a saddle. But da ain't no saddle. Is yo'-all thinkin' of goin'"

"We'll take those horses," cut in Dick, shortly.

"Now, don't worry, we'll pay you well for using them, and see that they come back safely. We have got to save those two girls, and we'll put those men in prison if we can."

The old colored man was so amazed that he was all but bewildered. He did not want to let the horses go, but the boys gave him no choice in the matter. They unharnessed the steeds, and took the blankets on the wagon seat for saddles.

"Sam, I guess Tom and I had better go on ahead," said Dick. "You can follow on foot, if you want to, and you can come, too, if you wish," he added, to the colored man.

"Say, ain't you afraid ob gitting shot, or suming like dat?" asked the driver of the wagon.

"Maybe we can do a little shooting ourselves," answered Dick, grimly.

"Is yo'-all armed?"

"We are."

"Den I'll follow on foot, wid dis young