The plain across which they
were traveling was a flat, broken only by slight swells, and a tree
here and there; and the young Hardys wondered not a little how
Lopez, who acted as guide, knew the direction he was to take.
After three hours' riding Lopez pointed to a rather larger clump of
trees than usual in the distance, and said, "That is the camp."
"Hurrah," shouted the boys. "May we ride on, papa?"
"Yes, boys, I will ride on with you." And off they set, leaving
their party to follow quietly.
"Mind how you gallop, boys; the ground is honeycombed with
armadillo holes, and if your horse treads in one you will go over
his head."
"I don't think that I should do that," Charley, who had a more than
sufficiently good opinion of himself, said; "I can stick on pretty
tightly, and--" he had not time to finish his sentence, for his
horse suddenly seemed to go down on his head, and Charley was sent
flying two or three yards through the air, descending with a heavy
thud upon the soft ground.
He was up in a moment, unhurt, except for a knock on the eye
against his gun, which he was carrying before him; and after a
minute's rueful look he joined heartily in the shouts of laughter
of his father and brother at his expense, "Ah, Charley, brag is a
good dog, but holdfast is a better.
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