“See here, fellows; you all has sense and knows I picked you out to come with me ’cause I wanted work done. Now, if any fellow here is afraid of blood, he’d better git. Who speaks?”
Not a word of reply came from any of the men who had been with Kansas King. Then Bad Burke continued:
“This country—I mean the prairies and the border—is getting too hot for our business, and we’ve got to git; the chief wants to locate here, and have the Injuns for a support; but it won’t do, and I’ve got a plan, and we’ll divide atween us seven—what say you?”
“I’m in for any job,” said one, and the others all nodded for the lieutenant to go ahead.
“Well, I’ll tell you; there is a big price offered for the head of Kansas King. We’ll arrange to run him right off from here and deliver him up to the officers at the fort, and that will get us a pardon. Then I know where there is a lot of gold and waluables buried, for I helped King to bury them, and we’ll dig them up and just slide away from the country with enough metal to make us all rich. What say you?”
“When can we get the chief?” asked one.
“He is gone up the gorge to try and palaver with the Indians. When he comes back we’ll bag him. Then I’ll go up and talk to the old hermit chief and tell him Kansas was putting up a job on him, and get him to send his warriors down after our boys, and every one of them will get the knife and lose their hair. Now, are you ready, boys?”
“Will we be afther making tracks from these hills as soon as we have the chafe?” asked one of the men, who was an Irishman.
“Yes, we’ll start to-night, for it is moonlight, and we will ride hard, and soon leave the Black Hills behind us.”
“I’m in.”