Under what circumstances do the boys encounter the young girl?

As the boys travel on one evening, they see a young girl walking. They pass the girl who then walks past them when they stop for a rest. Later, the boys meet some men on horseback. After that, they stop to wait for the girl to catch up, but she does not come and the boys eventually ride back where they find the girl in the hands of the riders. Billy and Boyd rescue the girl who rides behind Billy. The boys take the road for a distance then cut across country, hoping to escape the men who are likely to pursue them.