The Indian made a motion that the king of scouts understood. A triangle was formed, the point where the last vestige of the trail had been seen being in the center of the base. Moving from each of the three points, the colonel, Buffalo Bill, and the Hualapi began a search for the missing trail. The colonel, who had watched the Indian closely during the ride across the desert, and whose eyes were sharpened by anxiety, was the one who found it. The mark was small, and so faint that the officer had to look twice to be sure of it. He did not shout his discovery, for silence was the order of the day, but motioned with his hand. The Indian ran up, looked at the mark, and then hurried on, to soon find another mark.
Now the pursuit was resumed, and when an hour before dark a point was reached, where there were evidences that the sacks had been discarded, the colonel was in a state of hopeful excitement.
There upon the ground was the impress of a horse’s hoof. The trail now became more distinct, and the Indian went forward with a celerity that delighted while it astonished the colonel.
At dark a halt was made.
The pursuers were now at the mouth of a narrow pass. Nothing could be done until next morning, for Buffalo Bill knew that to try to follow the trail by lantern light would not only be slow and vexatious work, but might be attended with grave danger. If Black-face Ned was near at hand, and he might be, the light would give him opportunity to pot every one of the pursuers.
Camp was made, and after a cold supper the two white men and the Hualapi found soft places, and stretched themselves out for a few hours’ much-needed rest. Buffalo Bill was up before daybreak. He roused the Indian, and then turned to walk toward the spot—the lee of a bowlder—where the colonel had lain, and was amazed to discover that the soldier had gone.
Both the king of scouts and the Hualapi were light sleepers, and it seemed strange that the colonel should have departed without awakening either of them. Not far away from the camp was a small creek, and, in the hope that the colonel had gone to the water for a drink, Buffalo Bill went down the sloping bank, and soon stood on the water’s edge. It was now light enough for the scout to see for some distance about him.
There was no sign of Colonel Hayden anywhere.
As the king of scouts stood and wondered, the Hualapi came to his side.
“Him heap make sneak,” said the Indian, with many nods. “Go away, think he catch bad man asleep.”