“Dick,” said he, turning to his father-in-law, “you take Hattie at once and go with her to some safe place where——”
“No,” interrupted Perry, his face set and hard, “Hattie and I will stay right here. If the H-P cowboys come they’ll find us at home. Hattie can use a gun as well as anybody, and there’ll be trouble if the Phelps outfit try to take you out of the house.”
Old Nomad walked over to Perry and gripped his hand.
“Perry,” he said approvingly, “ye’re the clear quill. I allers knowed et, but ther fact never stuck out o’ ye same as now. We’re all goin’ ter stand by Nate. I’m only sorry a heap thet Wild Bill, the baron, an’ Leetle Cayuse ain’t hyar ter help out. But,” and the old trapper swept his grim eyes over the group, “we’re quite er sizeable handful, I reckon.”
“Go in and tell your wife, Nate,” counseled Buffalo Bill. “She must know all about this, and it’s better to have it come from you. Tell her not to be alarmed, for the chances are good that Red Steve is going to be captured by Wild Bill. Pard Hickok, you know, has made a vow that he’ll lay Red Steve by the heels. Ace Hawkins befriended Hickok, and that means that our pard will do his best to have the law avenge him. The principal thing is to keep the Phelps outfit from doing anything rash until Red Steve is located and brought in—or until Jake Phelps recovers his wits and tells the truth about what happened to him.”
Nate started for the house to perform his disagreeable duty. The scout would have spared Mrs. Dunbar the details, if he could, but Perry’s decision to stay with her and see Nate through the gathering storm made it necessary for the girl to be told everything.
“Nick,” said the scout, “I want you and Pierce to watch the trails. Get out a little way from the ranch house, and when you see the cowboys coming, rush in with the news.”
Nomad and Pierce departed at once. Perry went thoughtfully over to the fire, picked up the white-hot branding iron and seared the calf with the Star-A brand; then he released the animal and it darted away into the timber.
“No matter what happens, Buffalo Bill,” said Perry, with deep feeling, “your generous aid will always be remembered and appreciated. What we should have done without you and your pards, during our troubles here, is more than I know. But all our other troubles were small compared with this.”
“You’ll pull through this flare-up with ground to spare, Perry,” asserted the scout. “Don’t lose your nerve, now, of all times. I——”