“But you said you had no trouble with Rickard and his gang.”
“And we didn’t; off in another direction was a party of Comanches that must have taken us for their own warriors, for they began signalling in a way that made it look so. We answered their signals, but they found out the trick before we could trap them. However, they were out for game, and they came at us in the evening. It isn’t worth while to give the particulars,” added the Texan significantly, “but when the fun opened it wasn’t long before the red gentlemen found out their mistake. They rode off—that is, some of them did—and that was all.”
“But what of Rickard and his men?”
“While we were having the row with the Comanches they played a clever trick on us. They got round through the ridge, without our suspecting it till next morning, and walked off with Nick.”
“They might as well have captured both of us,” said Herbert, “and I have often wondered that they did not.”
“They took the highest priced one,” observed Strubell, with a chuckle, “but I guess there was another reason. Bell had a spite against Nick, and meant to put him out of the way if he couldn’t fix the ransom business. While the main thing was money with him, it wasn’t that alone.”
This point in the story was reached when the three heard the report of old Eph’s pistol, which rang out on the night with startling distinctness. It was nearer the building than the elevation where the friends were awaiting the return of the trapper.
“By gracious!” exclaimed Strubell in an excited undertone, “I can’t stay here, knowing he needs our help, for all he told us to do so.”
“And I feel the same way,” added Lattin, rising partly to his feet, “but what about leaving Herbert here?”
It was this thought that held the two for a moment, but the youth hastened to say: