The noose left the scout’s hand, hovered over the heads of the two men and then dropped downward. When the circle of hemp had reached their knees, the scout jerked it suddenly taut. A low laugh came from Perry. He, at least, was enjoying this bit of work.
“Take it easy, gentlemen,” laughed Buffalo Bill; “we’re going to talk business in a minute.”
CHAPTER VIII.
A DASH FOR FREEDOM.
Considering the circumstances, Buffalo Bill’s manœuvre was audacious in the extreme. Overawing the barons and treating them in such a high-handed manner, right on their own ground, was a reckless proceeding. It needed a man of resource and determination like the scout to carry it through to a success.
Buffalo Bill, however, although he had acted on the spur of the moment, was not blind to the dangers that surrounded him. He was lightning quick in probing chances and forecasting probabilities.
There were two things he wanted to do. One was to snatch Perry out of that camp of enemies; and the other was to discover what had become of Perry’s daughter.
Moving quickly to the door, Buffalo Bill looked over the surroundings of the cabin. The four cowboys were still smoking and talking under the trees. In the other direction, cowboys were catching up horses out of the corral, saddling and riding away to their places on the range.
No one outside the cabin seemed to know or care what was happening to the cattle barons.
Mightily relieved, the scout whirled away from the open door. As he did so, there was a crash that shook the cabin floor. The two barons, in their struggles to free their feet of the encircling noose, had toppled over and fallen.
Secured to each other as they were, they were in a sorry plight. Buffalo Bill hurried to them and adjusted their arms so that they would be more comfortable.