Sometimes there would be two samples within three or four yards of each other, and then perhaps the boys would have to go three or four hundred feet before they found another.

At such times the hoofmarks of the burro served as a guide.
"That thief is a mighty careless sort of a man," said Clancy.

"It's a wonder he didn't notice what was going on, and stop the leak." "Strikes me," answered Merry, "that he walked, and led the burro.

If that was the case he wasn't in a position to see that the loot was getting away from him." For at least a mile the golden trail zigzagged through the foothills.
Finally it came out on a level stretch of ground, partly covered with a chaparral of greasewood, ironwood, and paloverde.
Frank had been noticing for several minutes that the single set of burro tracks had grown into a veritable clutter of hoofprints.

A good many of the prints were large enough to suggest that horses had passed over the golden trail.
Merry and Clancy were discussing the additional tracks as they wheeled out upon the flat bit of desert.