“If I’d knowed that, I’d hev stayed on that island an’ fought ye off as long as I’d had a ca’tridge fer my guns.”
“Then you would have done a very foolish thing, and probably have lost your life.”
“I’d ruther a heap lose my life than go back ter Fort Apache!”
“The man you shot there didn’t die,” said the scout, “so you needn’t worry about the gallows.” He turned to Rising. “Will you hold Bascomb for me, in Phœnix, till I want him?” he asked.
“Sure,” replied the sheriff.
Half an hour later, Rising, Hawkins, Bernritter, and Bascomb were traveling in the direction of Phœnix, while Buffalo Bill, Nomad, and Little Cayuse were going the other way, toward the Three-ply Mine.
The meeting between Annie McGowan and her father was as happy as it was unexpected on the mine-owner’s part.
McGowan could scarcely believe that the scout had really found and rescued his daughter in the way described to him by Dell and Annie. It seemed impossible that one man, lone-handed, could accomplish so much.
When the scout and his pards arrived at the camp, on the following afternoon, McGowan and his daughter met them, and both tendered their deepest thanks.