Buffalo Bill, intent on saving White Antelope’s life at any cost, unslung his lariat and made ready to cast the endangered men an end if the canoe came near enough to the shore. For the sake of assisting the girl he would have given up his vengeance on the outlaws.
However, when he cast the rope, although it fell across the boat, Boyd Bennett, with a scream of rage, threw it off.
“You madman!” yelled his companion, glancing over his shoulder.
“Mind your paddle!” roared Bennett.
“My God! I’ll take help from anybody,” cried the other.
Cody coiled his rope to swing it again, this time intending to aim ahead of the canoe so that the other man could catch it. But Bennett saw his intention, and he drew in his paddle, grabbed his pistol, and presented it at his comrade’s back. White Antelope was lying down in the canoe, knowing that this was the safest place for her.
“You touch that rope!” shrieked the bandit leader, as the lariat whistled through the air again, “and I’ll send you to Hades!”
The man glanced fearfully over his shoulder at the words, and saw the threatening pistol.
“Look out!” shouted Buffalo Bill, for his cast had been true, and the coil of the lasso was circling just over the man.
The fellow was too scared of the pistol to watch the loop, and it settled fairly over his head. With a shriek he tried then to get out of it, but it was too late. The canoe darted suddenly into a cross current, shooting off from the shore, and the rope was pulled taut.