“That doesn’t matter,” replied the other, who was the man we know as Canfield, the former friend of Ruggles the miner, “it’s enough to say that I was once decent, back north; but that’s long ago, and no use crying over it. Look out, I’m going to cut you loose.”
As the words were spoken, Coyote felt the unseen Samaritan slash his bonds, but the cow-puncher prudently did not at once draw his hands from behind his back. Instead, he darted a furtive look about. The sentry, crooning by the fire, seemed to be half asleep. Doubtless he didn’t see much sense in giving too vigilant a watch to such helpless prisoners.
“I tried to keep you out of this, you know,” came the voice again; “I got one note to you and got shot for my pains. Then again at Don Alverado’s fete I despatched another one. It was Ramon’s intention to shoot Jack Merrill that day, but the vengeful Mexican, Jose, took the task out of his hands.”
“Was Ramon in the crowd?” gasped Coyote in astonishment.
“Yes. But he is as skillful in disguise as he is in most other things. He was disguised as an old peddler of sweetmeats. But in his basket he had hidden a carbine, which if he had ever used it, would have put that young Merrill out of the way forever.”
“Great bob cats! he——”
But a sudden rustling in the grass behind him apprised Coyote at that juncture that he was alone. With another quick glance about he set to work on his leg-thongs. So intent was he on his work that perhaps he relaxed his vigilance a trifle, for when he looked up, directed by some strange instinct to do so, it was to see the form of Ramon standing over him with a revolver pointed grimly at the cow-puncher’s head.
In this terrible emergency Pete’s mind was made up in a flash. With one quick slash he finished freeing himself, and then, shooting up like an uncoiled spring, he rocketed forward just as Ramon fired. The ball grazed his cheek, but before Ramon could pull the trigger a second time, Pete had rushed in between his legs upsetting him with a crash. So heavily did the Mexican chief fall that he was stunned for the instant, but the drowsy guard by the fire suddenly galvanized into action, and sent a bullet flying after the cow-puncher as he vanished in the darkness.