Captain Benning was a brave officer, with just enough revenge corpuscles in his blood to make the possession of Agramonte’s person the one thing in all the world to be desired. This last atrocity was more than he could endure. Agramonte’s life he must and would have. He knew well enough that there was but one way to kill or capture the outlaw. Having but one company at his command he could not well send a large party against the enemy. Indeed, the entire company was scarcely large enough to make a punitive expedition safe. Whatever was done must of necessity be done by strategy, and by a small party. A set plan was impossible. What was wanted was a “man,” and the captain thought that he knew where to find him. Turning to his orderly he said, “Tell Sergeant Blank that I want him to report to me at once.”
Johnny promptly appeared at the captain’s quarters and stood respectfully at attention, awaiting his commander’s pleasure.
“Sergeant,” said the captain, pointing to the outlaw’s grim token of defiance, “do you know Agramonte when you see him?”
“I think I do, sir,” replied Johnny.
“Well, Sergeant, I want him, and I want him badly. If anybody can get him, you can. You have done plenty of scouting. What do you think about it?”
Johnny glanced at the gory head of his comrade, lying at the captain’s feet, and his jaws set ominously. He answered through his teeth:
“I think I’ll get him sir, or he’ll get me.”
“Very well, then,” said the captain, “go after him, and be sure you get him.”
“Alive, sir?”
“Alive if you can; I wish to make an example of him, for the benefit of those cut-throats of his, but don’t take a chance of losing him. I want to see him at my tent door, and a few holes more or less in his miserable carcass will not mar his beauty much in my eyes.”