She came out, trembling.
“Now I ask ye ag’in fer them emeralds!”
“And I tell you I haven’t them!” she screamed at him. “I haven’t them, do you hear, you hateful beast?”
CHAPTER XLVI.
THE CAPTURE OF THE THIEF.
As Toby Sam stole on, congratulating himself on his clever theft, he tripped suddenly over what seemed to be a grapevine in the path.
The supposed grapevine was a lariat, as he knew when a man sprang on him, caught him by the throat, jammed his head back against the ground, and commanded him to keep silent on pain of having his throat cut. The fingers of the man were like iron in their hold, and the command was made in a hoarse whisper.
The place was a mile or less from the cave, and the capture was made at a time when Toby Sam felt absolutely sure of getting away with the emeralds.
The cowardly rascal coughed and gurgled, and then lay back, quiet, staring-eyed, and weak from fear. Then he saw that this man had comrades, two of them, at least, who came up one on each side, and they looked at the prisoner.
“Got him, eh?” There was a chuckle. “Waugh! He’s thet pesky sneak, Toby Sam!”
It was Nick Nomad who spoke. Toby Sam recognized that, and knew he had fallen into the hands of Buffalo Bill’s party, which was as bad as, or worse, than falling into the hands of Black John.