Like a pursued mountain lion, the “Kid” sprang into the jungles of a steep cliff. Foot by foot his way was made to a place of concealment.
The Indians seeing him leave the trail, scrambled up into the bushy cliff. Now the “Kid’s” trusty pistol began to talk, and several young braves, who were leading the chase passed to the “happy hunting ground.” The “Kid” said the body of one young buck went down the cliff and caught on the over-hanging limb of a dead tree, and there hung suspended in plain view.
Many shots were fired at the “Kid” when he sprang from one hiding place to another. One bullet struck a rock near his head, and the splinters gave him slight wounds on the face and neck.
Reaching the extreme top of a high peak, the young outlaw felt safe, as he could see no reds on his trail. Being exhausted he soon fell asleep. On hearing the yelling and shooting, Tom O’Keefe stampeded, leaving the “Kid’s” mount and the pack mule where they stood.
Reaching a high bluff, which was impossible for a horse to climb, O’Keefe quit his mount and took it afoot. From cliff to cliff, he made his way towards the top of a peak. Finally his keen eyesight caught the figure of a man, far away across a deep canyon, trying to reach the top of a mountain peak. He surmised that the bold climber must be the “Kid.”
At last young O’Keefe’s strength gave out and he lay down to sleep. His hands and limbs were bleeding from the scratches received from sharp rocks, and he was craving water.
Being refreshed from his long night’s sleep, the “Kid” headed for the big red sun, which was just creeping up out of the great “Llano Estacado,” (Staked Plains), over a hundred miles to the eastward, across the Pecos river.
Finally water was struck and he was happy. Then he filled up on wild berries, which were plentiful along the borders of the small sparkling stream of water.
Three days later the young hero outlaw reached a cow-camp on the Rio Pecos. He made himself known to the cowboys, who gave him a good horse to ride, and conducted him to the Murphy-Dolan cow-camp, where his chum, Jesse Evans, was employed. In this camp the “Kid” also met his former friends, McDaniels, Baker, and Morton.
Here the “Kid” was told of the smouldering cattle war between the Murphy-Dolan faction on one side, and the cattle king, John S. Chisum, on the other.