it was not to be found.

"Just my luck!" he cried aloud. "It's lost. This will end my services as a
pony express rider!"

His steed whinnied, thinking, perhaps, that his master might have been
speaking to him, as Jack frequently did. Indeed, the lad often talked to
his horse as one might to a human being, and Jack stoutly maintained that
Sunger understood as much if not more than some people.

"Well, if it's gone, it's gone," Jack said, sadly enough "And it wasn't my
fault, either. I couldn't know those planks in the bridge were loose. It's
lucky Sunger felt them giving in time, and gave me the alarm, or we might
both be lying somewhere with broken legs, if not worse."

He glanced back to the place where the accident had so nearly occurred. In
the gleam of the moon he could see two black streaks in the otherwise level
flooring of the bridge, the planks of which were white from the bleaching
of the sun and the dust of the mountain trail.

"That's where I nearly went through," mused Jack. Hardly had the thought
come to him than he saw, lying on the very edge of one of the black
openings, a small, light object.

"Jove! If that could be it!" he murmured. Cautiously he started toward it,
in fear lest the vibration of his steps jar the sealed packet into the
stream, for that it was the sealed packet Jack now felt sure.

As the lad started forward his horse followed him, so well trained was
Sunger.