At that moment Buffalo Bill was very near death. In the confident belief that he had deceived the Indian, he had not made any demonstration with his rifle, which he carried loosely in his hand. He did not know that the pony had betrayed him. But he realized in a flash that the Indian had made an important discovery, and he acted with the celerity of lightning. But the Indian had the start, and a bullet would have reached Buffalo Bill’s heart if a tomahawk, thrown with a practiced hand, had not carved the Navaho’s skull at the very moment when he was about to press the trigger.
The king of scouts saw the Indian fall, and knew that a friend had intervened, and in the nick of time.
Wild Bill stepped from behind a tree. “I reckon you’ll forgive me for disobeying instructions,” he said in a whisper. “You see, I had a hunch that you’d taken the wrong pony, and, knowing how the Navahos regard such changes, I concluded to slip on behind you and see you through.”
“You are forgiven,” returned Buffalo Bill huskily. “That’s another on me. I shan’t forget.”
Wild Bill looked closely at the pony. Before, while on the way from the ravine, he paid no attention to the animal.
“I am a fool,” he muttered, more to himself than to his old comrade. “The two ponies the Indians—Crow-killer and his partner—left behind when they sneaked for the flat were pintos. This pony is a plain muser. There was substitution after the Indians stole away from their ponies. Some one, a white man, sure, for on no other supposition can the conduct of this Navaho at my feet be accounted for, exchanged his own pony for that of Crow-killer. Why did he do it, and who was he?”
“Rixton Holmes,” replied Buffalo Bill promptly. “He knew the ponies. His own, this fellow, is a decent sort of a plug, but Crow-killer’s is stronger and fleeter.”
“That’s it, sure, Cody.” Then Wild Bill added: “Of course, you know the crook the Navahos have about the horses of the whites.”
“Oh, yes. They will never ride one. All that are found are led away and killed.”
“Then don’t you see what a mistake you made in riding this pony?”