The horses were turned from the trail and headed toward another part of the Brazos.
Buffalo Bill wished to spare Mrs. Dunbar as much as possible, so he and the trapper, and Pierce slowed their gait when close to the ranch and rode up slowly. They saw Nate out near the corral, heating an iron to brand a “dogie.” Dick Perry was with Nate. The calf was bound and lying on the ground, and the two ranchers were leaning against the corral fence, talking. The coming of the scout and his companions aroused their curiosity.
“Well, well!” laughed Nate, “this is almost too good to be true, Buffalo Bill. I thought you weren’t going to get back here before to-morrow?”
“Something has happened that brought me here, Nate,” answered the scout, dismounting and turning Bear Paw over to Nomad to be cared for.
“You’ve been riding pretty fast, it looks like,” spoke up Perry.
There was anxiety in his voice. Ever since he had been fighting the cattle barons, he had never known when or how the lightning was going to strike. Very little was needed to arouse his apprehensions.
“I was in a hurry, Perry,” the scout answered. “Nate,” and he turned to the younger of the two ranchers, “what did you do on the way back from town?”
“Do?” echoed Dunbar; “why, I just rode. What else was there to do? I picked up that stray calf on the way, and snaked it along for the last mile. You’ve got me guessing, Buffalo Bill. What’s gone crossways?”
“Did you ride the Star-A trail all the way?” asked the scout.
“Didn’t I tell you I would?”