“Buffalo Bill,” said he, “if any one had told me that it was possible for a man to do what you did at Phelps’ this morning I would not have believed it. In all my life I never saw such a nervy piece of work.”
Old Nomad began to chuckle.
“It won’t be long, amigos,” he remarked, “afore these hyar cattle barons o’ ther Brazos’ll begin ter git acquainted with Buffler Bill. None o’ Buffler’s pards stack up ter his level, but, ef I do say et, I reckon we reach purty middlin’ high.”
“What did you do, pard?” asked Wild Bill.
“I corrected the mistake which the clerk at the hotel made last evening,” laughed the scout.
“Meaning which?”
“Why, I gave Benner the handcuffs.”
“With his revolver,” put in Perry, “he forced the two cattle barons to stand back to back, and then he handcuffed their wrists together. He finished the work by putting the noose of a riata around their feet. And that’s the way we left them!”
“I came away,” added Buffalo Bill, “and forgot to leave the key to the bracelets, so——”
Old Nomad was a minute or two grasping the situation the scout had caused in Phelps’ cabin. Just at this point it broke over him, and he leaned against Hide-rack and bellowed with mirth.