They rested by the stream nearly an hour. At the end of that time Black John ascended the near-by hill to take a look over the country. He came down hurriedly, and was much excited.
“Injuns!” he said. “We’ve got to slide out of this mighty quick, er we won’t be goin’ at all. Wish’t I had another horse fer ye, but you’ll have to ride in front of me, same’s before.”
He helped her to mount, and she assisted herself very materially, for, believing him, she was anxious to get out of the valley. Then they rode away hastily, heading once more southward.
She noted the direction.
“This takes me farther and farther from my friends!” she protested. “We’re riding southward!”
“Yes, but when Injuns aire in the trail right behind us we ain’t much choice as to the direction we take. The thing to do is to move as fast as we can out of the territory. We’ve got a start of ’em; yit I’m expectin’ to hear their yells soon.”
What Black John had really seen from the top of the hill was Buffalo Bill and his friends, coming toward the valley at a fast gallop, following his trail.
CHAPTER XLIII.
A WHIRLWIND CHASE.
Following hard on the trail of Black John and his companions, Buffalo Bill, Pawnee Bill, and Nick Nomad came to the point where Black John’s men had been fooled by the Indians.
Several bodies, scalped and mutilated, told their own story.