“No, I ain’t, you miserable galoot!” answered Sam Conifer heatedly. “I’m goin’ out purty soon to hunt fer a man, an’ when I finds him—”
“Not today, Samuel,” differed Hippy.
“I be!” insisted the injured man.
“I reckon what the Boss says goes ’round heah,” reminded Two-gun Pete. “I’ll git out an’ keep watch.”
Soon after that Conifer, his head bandaged up as best the two men could do it, went to sleep, and the Overlanders fell to considering what they ought to do. They decided, in the first place, that Idaho and Pete should go out and make further search for Jim, following the direction taken by the outlaws when they rode away in such haste. Hippy thought that he and Tom could protect their camp and care for Sam at the same time, and perhaps, by the following day, there would be help from the Circle O ranch.
Tom reminded him, that, not knowing where they were, no assistance could be looked for from that direction. This had not occurred to Hippy.
Pete and Idaho did not return until just before dark. They had found not the slightest trace of the other guide, but they were delighted to see Sam sitting up. Nothing had been seen of the rustlers, but Two-gun Pete advised that the party move out of the cabin and go into camp farther up in the mountains, as otherwise they were more than likely to be attacked before morning.
Hippy and Tom moved Sam with some misgivings, but the old guide stood the ride without admitting the slightest suffering because of it. That night they made camp without building a fire, and lay down in the open, deciding that in the morning they would return to the cabin and again make it their headquarters while continuing the search for Jim.
In the meantime the long absence of the party was beginning to cause the Overland girls and Bindloss some worry, for not knowing where their companions had gone, it was not possible to get into communication with them.