“What for?”
Cody told him of how the young lieutenant had come near to shooting a gigantic man for a caribou, and how the being had run away yelling into the forest.
“That’s him. Crazy as they make them.”
“He must be crazy if he would stop to shoot men down when such a fire as that yonder is on his track as well as theirs.”
“I reckon an insane person don’t act logically.”
“He’s worse than the dumb beasts,” said Cody. “Look at that rabbit running almost between your legs, Jack. Aw! don’t step on him!”
“I ain’t—dern his hide!” exclaimed Texas Jack, making a flying leap over the bunny.
“He’s scared stiff. Some of the deer have run close enough to us to be touched. Even a bear will behave when there’s a forest fire. But this crazy bedlam is ready to shoot inoffensive men when death of the most awful kind is threatening him.”
“That’s why he’s crazy, I reckon,” said Texas Jack. “Come on, Buffler; this way.”
The light of the fire now made the forest about them as light almost as day, but the radiance flickered, and the shadows danced in a blinding fashion. The scouts could not see as clearly as usual. Within a mile of the spot where they had been attacked by the Mad Hunter a second shot was fired at them—this time from directly ahead. Fortunately, the bullet went wild.