Here he sat for over two hours, and then returned to the boys.
Charley he found fast asleep. The pain of Hubert's wound had kept
him awake. Mr. Hardy poured some water over the bandage, and
then, waking Charley, gave them instructions as to the part they were
to play.
Both of them felt rather uncomfortable when they heard that they
were to be separated from their father. They raised no objections,
however, and promised to obey his instructions to the letter. They
then mounted their horses--Hubert having to be lifted up, for his
leg was now very stiff and sore--and then began to retrace their
steps, keeping a hundred yards or so to the west of the track by
which they had come.
They rode in single file, and they had taken the precaution of
fastening a piece of tape round their horses' nostrils and mouth,
to prevent their snorting should they approach any of their own
species. The night was dark, but the stars shone out clear and
bright. At starting Mr. Hardy had opened his watch, and had felt by
the hands that it was ten o'clock. After some time he felt again.
It was just half an hour from the time of their starting.
"Now, boys, we are somewhere close to the place of your fight. In
another ten minutes we must separate."
At the end of that time they again closed up.
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