“You heard Lightfoot say his pony knows every foot of it; I shall leave that part of the business to him.”
“But—but,” sputtered the African, “what’s gwine to come ob me?”
This after all was the crucial question. Jethro was alarmed more for his own safety than because of anything else.
Despite the tense situation, Alden lost patience.
“You have a better chance than I; I’m going into danger and you are going out of it; off with you without another word!”
Alden turned the head of Firebug down the trail and slapped his haunch. The animal started away at once on a brisk trot, knowing what was required of him. Then his master handed his rifle to Jethro. He had picked up the weapon from the ground near the body, but did not take the revolver of the fallen man.
“That gives you two guns; this one is better than mine and I’ll use it.”
Without another word, he jerked the reins sharply and spoke to the pony:
“Now, Dick, show what you can do!”