“What about Perry, Hawkins?” asked the scout.
“It’s long odds whether ye save him er not. They’ve took him ter Crowder’s c’ral—they—they——”
Hawkins’ head fell back, and his eyes closed. Jordan threw a questioning, startled look at the doctor, but the doctor shook his head.
“Not yet, parson,” said he; “it won’t be long, though.”
“They’ve bagged Dick Perry—the scoundrels!” muttered Nate Dunbar. “What’re they going to do with him?”
“If they follow out the plan as I got it from Red Steve,” said Wild Bill, “they’re going to stake Perry out and head a drove of stampeding longhorns his way.”
The sky pilot’s face went white.
“They couldn’t be so inhuman!” he declared. “They wouldn’t dare do such a murderous thing!”
“You don’t know Red Steve, parson,” said Wild Bill. “Even Lige Benner balked at that game—but his brother Jerry stood for it, and Red Steve is going to do this unknown to Lige.”
“We’ve got to do something,” cried Dunbar. “We can’t stand here like this.”