He had by no means given up hope of capturing that gallows bird.
So Buffalo Bill pushed rapidly on with his scouts, and halted only when it was near sunset, for dinner and supper combined, and the men turned in for sleep until after midnight.
Then a start was made, and early that afternoon the camp of Black Bill was reached.
To the sergeant and corporal the scout had told of his coming upon the starving and wounded negro; but to the men the surprise was very great, upon coming across the lone camp.
Black Bill greeted the chief of scouts with a shout, saying that he was getting well fast, and he knew he would be ready for the trail at once, if need be.
“No, take a couple of days more, for I do not wish you to move until really able to do so.”
The chief of scouts did not remain long in camp, but started, mounted on his pack animal, to go to the place where he had left Ginger Sam and try to pick up his trail. He was confident that the man had a cabin somewhere near there, as he had known the cliff trail so well, and by leaping from it into the stream he could make a landing and escape.
The scout felt sure that Ginger Sam was in that country looking for gold, and doubtless allied with the Indians, while again he might have another comrade with him. He was determined to know and capture the outlaw if he could, to kill him if he had to do so.
He reached the place where the man had landed from the stream, and, to one of his great scouting skill, he readily trailed the tracks of the large and heavy boots, soaked as they had been with water.
It soon became a hard trail to follow, but after a mile it led into a cañon, and there the scout beheld a small, rude cabin.