Wild Bill used his eyes and fiercely bit at his mustache. “Each on a pony,” he muttered. “No coercion? Going away like two elopers. Bart, this business beats me to a frazzle. Got an opinion that is of any value?”
“No, but I shore got a request ter make,” was the response, in deep disgust. “Will you hev ther kindness as ter be so kind as ter take a squint among ther big trees yereabout an’ find a knot hole. I shore desires ter crawl inter it an’ haul ther hole in arter me.”
Wild Bill fell to whistling. A smile came to his lips. “I am waiting for Cody to come up. It will be worth something to note the expression of his classic mug when he sees what a mess we have made of it.”
It was not long before the king of scouts and Carl Henson put in an appearance. There was no need to look toward the spot where the ponies had been nor to ask questions. The faces of Wild Bill and Bart Angell told the whole crushing story.
For a moment Buffalo Bill gazed at them without speaking. Then he broke into a laugh. “Boys,” he said, “it is certainly rough. But the battle is not yet lost. Luck can’t stay always with that slick, double-dyed villain. We are all candidates for bed, but the bed has not been made that will take any of us in to-day. It’s sprint, and as this is no time for a confab, here goes.”
Up the hill he went, making surprising time for a man of his weight. It may be said that his wound had healed rapidly, and that for twenty-four hours it had given him no concern.
Wild Bill was the fleetest runner. Tall, thin, and wiry, with the strength of a giant and the suppleness of a panther, he fairly flew over the ground.
Carl Henson was a good second. The young man was on his mettle. Besides, he had the greatest interest at stake.
For hours the fugitives were lost sight of, but in the middle afternoon they were seen to descend a hill ending in one of the rockiest sections of the Canadian Mountains.
With his field glasses Buffalo Bill noticed that Holmes and the girl were walking their ponies, and that from time to time the villain, who was in the lead, turned and shook his fist at the girl.