"Are you all right, Mr. Dillon?" sang out Dave, as he ran forward to stop the nearest horse.
"All right, boys!" was the answer. "That is, I will be as soon as I've rested a bit. I've had some ride, believe me!"
Roger and Phil helped Dave to secure the free horses and tether them, and our hero held the old miner's steed while he fairly tumbled to the ground. The horse was in a heavy lather, and Mr. Dillon was covered with dust.
"You weren't shot, were you?" questioned the senator's son, anxiously.
"No, although I come putty nigh to it," was the answer, and the old miner pointed to a hole through the brim of the hat he wore. "The skunk fired twict at me!"
"We heard two shots," said Dave. "We were afraid you might be in trouble. If we had had horses we would have followed you."
"I did better nor he did," went on the old miner, with a satisfied ring in his voice. "I plugged him in the arm."
"You did!" exclaimed Phil. "We heard only two shots!"
"I fired later on, after he left the trail. He was just gittin' ready to aim his gun ag'in when I caught him. His arm went down like lead, an' the gun dropped to the ground; so I know I winged him. He didn't shoot no more, only got into the timber quick as he could. Then I rounded up the hosses an' started back."
"Who was it, do you know?" questioned Dave.