“But what is the reason for his strange action on seeing the dead outlaw?” asked Cody.
“He will tell you that, I think,” replied the young man. “Come, let’s carry him back to the house.”
They did so, but before Latimer revived, old Nick Nomad told his part of the story.
“Buffler,” said Nomad, “we didn’t intend it ter joke ye, but it worked thet way. Yer see, me an’ Pizen thar had sot out to run thet outlaw down. Pizen had got sight of him once, and had likewise seen Latimer in ther town; and the amazin’ resemblance made him think thet Latimer war ther outlaw leader.
“So I come on ter Latimer’s, ter play ther spy bizness, and got a job with him as hostler. And Pizen, he war comin’ on, intendin’ ter git a job as cook, mebbe, er chambermaid, er suthin’. And we war pertendin’ ter be husband and wife, ye see; and him chasin’ me about, in order ter give a proper ixcuse fer me runnin’ frum place ter place and him follerin’ me, er bein’ with me. I tried ter tell yer about it, Buffler, sev’ral times.”
“Pizen Kate,” who was a man disguised as a woman, had stripped away his encumbering skirt, and now sat, grinning, while he listened to Nomad’s explanation.
“We thought it ruther cute,” he admitted. “And, Cody, when we seen how fooled ye was by it, we kept it from yer; and, o’ course, we couldn’t make no confession, and I couldn’t change back ter my proper person, so long as we wasn’t sure of Latimer. And there ye aire.”
He was still as “homely as sin;” and now that he had reassumed masculine clothing, he looked feminine, for his face was womanish and naturally almost beardless.
“Thar war two men we war ’specially lookin’ fer, Buffler,” said Nomad. “One war Persimmon Pete, and t’other George Latimer, who is dead hyar, though ther name we knowed him by war diff’rent from thet.”
“George Latimer!” exclaimed Cody. “Is the dead outlaw John Latimer’s brother?”