“Might track Anton—no good that—would have to deal with both together. Besides, don’t want kill Anton—no ill-will to Anton—make things worse if find Anton with him. Never do, boy Pepe—have hands full with güero himself—plenty do capture him. Must not forget capture—not kill—leave that to them. No use track Anton—know where t’other keeps. If didn’t know that, then might track Anton.”
“Can’t we get near the cave in daylight, Man’l? I don’t have a good memory of the place.”
“Mile—no nearer—unless he sleep—when sleep? Tell me that, boy Pepe!”
“And suppose he be awake?”
“See us enter the cañon, mile off—jump into saddle, pass up to plain above—maybe three days before find him again—maybe not find at all, boy Pepe.”
“Well, brother Man’l—I have a plan. Let us get near the mouth of the cañon, and hide outside of it till night—then as soon as it is dark creep into where it narrows. He will come down that way to go out. What then? we can have a shot at him as he passes!”
“Pooh, boy Pepe! Think lose chance of half reward—risk whole by shot in dark? Dam! no—have whole or none—set us up for life—take him alive, take him alive, sure.”
“Well then,” rejoined the zambo, “let him pass out of the cañon, and when he’s gone clear out of reach we can go up, get into the cave, and wait his return. What say you to that?”
“Talk sense now, boy Pepe—something like plan about that—what we do—but not go inside cañon till güero clear away. Only near enough see him go out, then for cave—right plan to take him. Sun near dawn, time we start—come!”
“Vamos!”