Jack flung a hand to his sombrero and smiled. Though he had been constantly in the saddle for days, the angel-faced boy looked as fresh and faultlessly turned out as ever.
"Got him still cornered, Major. He's in a little hollow 'bout an hour's hard ride from here. Quite a big bunch o' cattlemen come up last night an' this mornin'. Mr. Cranbrook said I was to guide you an' to ask you to hurry, if it don't hurt you any."
"All right, Jack! No, never mind the stirrups! Donaldson, follow as quickly as you can. Come along, Forshaw! We've got to get there in time!"
With that, they swung to the saddle and thundered off across the prairie.
"God, I'd give my eyes to be in at the death!" groaned Kellett, as he watched his chief disappear.
V
Behind a ridge Hector found assembled a large and noisy crowd. Cranbrook, mounted, stood in the centre, heatedly arguing. Then he saw Hector, with obvious relief. Shouldering his horse through the throng, he cantered over. The stockmen, recognizing Hector, fell to uneasy muttering among themselves. If any man could baulk them of their prey it was Adair; and they knew it—and were correspondingly disgruntled.
"I've got a ring of scouts round his hiding-place, sir," Cranbrook said. "Lone-Elk-Facing-The-Wind picked up his trail near here just before dusk last night. He can't escape, but he's too dangerous to rush. So I thought I'd wait till you came."
"You did right," replied Hector. "And these—are the lynchers, I suppose? Yes? Then leave them to me."
The stern face set. Here was something physical to meet and overcome—at last.