“Always—since the barons turned loose on him.”
“Then here’s the way I figure it: You failed to come back to the cabin yesterday. Perry and Hattie believed that you had been trapped by Benner’s men. Perry went off to look for you. While he was gone, the trouble happened here. Perry may get back any minute, Dunbar, and then he can help us do our planning. Are there any horses in the corral?”
“No.”
The cowboy was moody. He could see the logic of the scout’s suggestions, but he was not in a temper to be sanguine over results.
“How far is Benner’s ranch from here?” asked the scout.
“Twenty miles.” Dunbar showed some interest. “Are you thinking of going over there?”
“Not yet. We’ll give Perry a chance to get back here first. How long have you been hooked up with Perry, Nate?”
“Nearly a year. I came here from the Panhandle country, and Perry had just bought out the Star-A steers. He wanted a foreman, and I took hold. Later on, when I saw how the other cattlemen were layin’ for him, I dropped a thousand-dollar stake into the pot. It was all I had. I reckoned, though, that I’d show Benner he had two to buck against. He had tried to hire me away from Perry, and the thousand I put up here was an answer to that.”
Buffalo Bill was liking the young fellow more and more. Nevertheless, he was not overlooking the powerful influence Hattie Perry must have had with Nate Dunbar.
“You’re all right, Nate,” said the scout. “The situation on the Brazos has reached a climax, and everything depends on the way you stack up from this on.”