“We must hurry up. There’s a lot of men down below the cliff, and they aren’t in that Indian fight,” said one of the outlaws, who came up at this moment.
“Mount at once! We are lucky to have fresh horses!” shouted the leader of the band. “Mount and away!”
Then turning to Mainwaring he said:
“Stranger, I’ll treat you well if you’ll act square. If you don’t, you’ll die without having time to pray!”
“Treat those girls well, and you shall have every dollar I have in the world, if necessary,” replied Mainwaring.
A grateful look from both girls, but especially from May, made him feel that his fortune could not possibly be better expended.
“They shall be well treated—if we are well paid,” said the bandit.
Now they were all mounted and were moving off up among the rugged hills at a sweeping trot, which was increased to a gallop when the road got better.
Mainwaring now had a good chance to look at the party, for he and the girls were placed in the center, Norfolk Ben following close behind them.
There were in all about twenty-five or thirty men, all well armed and mounted, and all looking what they were—outlaws and murderers of the worst type.