While the mirrored picture of the gash and butte represented the scene as not more than half a mile distant, after a ride of an hour the pards had seen nothing that looked like it. They had hardly expected to find the place much sooner and perhaps not at all, for, with the exception of Tootsie, they were familiar with the false reports of nature’s news sheet.
Another hour and they had paused on the crest of one of the great prairie waves to study the surroundings, when Buffalo Bill, who was using a field glass, uttered an exclamation of surprise.
The scout handed the glass to Wild Bill, who said:
“By gorry!”
Nomad reached for the glass and alter a moment’s study of a distant butte, let loose with:
“Waal, by ther ring-tailed, rip-snortin’ heifercats! Wouldn’t thet make ye swaller yer gum?”
It was Skibo’s turn, and after a moment the giant black man handed the glass to Tootsie and turned to Buffalo Bill.
“Mars’ Billyum,” he said, “yer goin’ sabe de lil’ missy if it takes de las’ piece ob meat f’m ole Skibo’s bones to do it—ain’t dat so, Mars’ Billyum?”
“She sees us and seems to think we are Indians, for she is running along the top of the mesa and now she drops out of sight!” cried the boy excitedly.
The cause of the exclamations by the scout and his pards was the sight of a girl, or young woman, with long yellow hair floating in the wind, standing on the top of a high, perpendicular-sided butte, and, apparently, studying the landscape by peering under her hand.