I led all the men of the detail—­every one of them as anxious as myself—­on a long and fruitless search beside the river, without coming upon a clew.  Returning to Mr. Gray’s, and dismissing the men, I sat upon the veranda alone, sadly reflecting upon the absence of my young companions and Vic.

In the midst of my sad reflections there scrambled up the steps a wet and bedraggled dog, who dropped at my feet a chip.  Carrying her in my arms to my room, I lighted a lamp and examined her collar, and found a few leaves of a memorandum-book covered with Frank’s hand-writing.

The news of Vic’s arrival with a message spread quickly, and soon the household was gathered in my room and in possession of the news of the exploit of the boys and Tom Clary.

“Good! good!” exclaimed the director of the Navigation Company.  “Come with me to the Cocopah.  We’ll steam across and get the whole party.”

On the western shore of the Colorado, Private Tom Clary and the boy sergeants sat by the fire broiling quail, which they seasoned from the supplies of Texas Dick and Juan Brincos, and accompanied by slices of toasted bread from the same source.  In the midst of their enjoyment of “quail on toast” a loud “who-o-of! who-o-of! who-o-of!” came across the river.

“Hullo!” said Henry; “the old Cocopah is starting for the Gulf mighty early.  I should think the pilot would find it difficult to keep off the shores when it is so dark.”

The boys could see by the boat’s changing lights that her bow, which had been headed up-stream, when she lay at the bank, was swinging slowly out into the stream, and they expected shortly to see her starboard lights as she headed downward.  But she seemed to pause, with her furnace fires and pilot lanterns pointing towards them.

“Who-o-of! who-o-of! who-o-of!—­patter, patter, patter.”  The noise of the steamer grew louder and louder, until the boys rose from their seats and stared in surprise at the rapidly growing lights.

“I really believe she is coming here,” said Frank.

“She is, or she nades a dale of space to turn in,” observed Private Tom.

Presently two tall smoke-stacks separated themselves from the darkness and appeared high above their heads.

“Ahoy there, boys!” shouted the captain’s voice from the bridge.

“Ay, ay, sir!” answered Frank.

“Get ready to come on board!  Below there—­stand by to lower gang-plank!  Now!—­lower away!”

Down came the plank, and a joyous group of friends walked down to the shore to greet the boys and the soldier.

A few moments afterwards the boy sergeants led their ponies on board, and Private Tom Clary escorted the prisoners.  The Cocopah cleared away and paddled back to the La Paz side, where Texas Dick and Juan Brincos were turned over to the civil authorities, and Sancho and Chiquita to the escort in Mr. Gray’s corral.