“So, as I was sayin’ ter Persimmon Pete, if this fight comes off I want to see it. Tell him all about it, Nicholas.”
“Waugh! Buffler, I war moseyin’ round, lookin’ ter see what war ter be seen, when all to onct I heerd some men talkin’. They war white men, and when I’d got nigh enough ter see ’em I knowed from their gin’ral make-up and apeerances that they war outlaws, ef their talk hadn’t soon told me.
“Waal, it seems outlaws aire hyar in purty consid’able force, hidin’, and they’re layin’ fer ther Redskin Rovers, which aire approachin’ out of ther hills. They sighted ther Rovers about daylight, and have been layin’ fer ’em ever sense.
“It seems thet they’ve got a grudge agin’ ther redskins; fer ther reason thet ther redskins has been doin’ a lot o’ robbin’ and stealin’, and ther like, and the outlaws has been gittin’ ther blame of it.
“They think that ther reckless doin’s of ther Injuns is goin’ ter cause a strong force of soldiers ter be sent out hyar. So, ter take the cuss off, they’re goin’ ter wipe out ther reds. I cal’late they think, too, that if one robber band is wiped out ther’ll be more pickin’ fer ther one thet’s left.”
“Where were these men?” Buffalo Bill asked, interested at once.
“Right out yander on ther side o’ thet hill, where ther bushes aire thick as hair on a dog and a feller can’t see two yards afore his nose. I wouldn’t knowed they war thar but Nebby smelt ’em out fer me; and when I’d left ther ole hoss behind and had croped up on foot, then I seen ’em, and I heerd ’em. Thar war three of ’em, and it seemed they war doin’ sort of sentinel duty.”
“This is important,” said the scout. “For the Redskin Rovers are advancing, and some of their scouts have already got this far.”
Then he related what he had seen, and it was of a character to offset even the remarkable story told by Nomad.
Pizen Kate again vociferously declared that if a fight came she intended to witness it.