“What I don’t understand,” continued Strubell, “is why he should wait until everything was in the best shape for him, and then slip off and knock our plan endways.”
“Didn’t he have any chance of gettin’ away when you was on the road here?” inquired Lattin.
“Well, we watched pretty close, for we knew what he was thinking of; Harman and I were never asleep at the same time, and we didn’t let him have his gun or pistol while on the road.”
Herbert’s heart burned with indignation at these words, but he kept silent. He knew now why Nick had remained passive so long. He was too wise to dash away from his captors and ride out on the open prairie, exposed to innumerable dangers, without a weapon at command. Had he been allowed to retain them he would have made things lively for Bell Rickard.
Rickard stated further that they had no field glass at command, like their pursuers, so that they never caught sight of them, though well convinced they were on their trail. Consequently Nick had not the incentive that would have been his had he felt any assurance of meeting his friends if he fled eastward.
“When we arrived here,” continued the horse thief, “and we knew the Apaches were close outside, why, we let him have his weapons, for it looked as if he might be able to help us against the redskins.”
“Of course when he saw Eph come through the door and join you in this room,” said Strubell, “he had no idea that he came from us; if he had he would have acted differently——”
“No, he wouldn’t either; you don’t know what you’re talkin’ ’bout.”
It was the old trapper who uttered this exclamation, after he had held his peace for several minutes. All looked at him wonderingly, for it was not clear what he meant by his abrupt remark. His little eyes shone with a peculiar light, and could his mouth have been seen, a singular smile would have been observed playing around it.
“Boys,” added Eph, straightening up on his seat as he saw every gaze fixed upon him, “shall I tell you something?”