“Cody, you are worth a hundred men at any time, and I can now understand your riding your horse to death. There comes Texas Jack with another animal for you, so give him your orders and do you start back at once, while your scouts can follow, and Captain Caruth will take his entire troop. There must be no mistake about catching those fellows who have been guilty of this outrage.”
With a salute to the colonel Buffalo Bill turned to his fresh horse, Texas Jack having taken the saddle and bridle from the dead animal and placed them upon the one he had led up for his chief.
“Jack, get twelve of the men and provisions in plenty and follow me at once to Deep Dell Brook, where Captain Caruth and his troop are coming also.”
“We will be there, Bill,” was the answer of Texas Jack.
Dropping into the saddle, with a wave of his hand, Buffalo Bill dashed away like the wind.
“Deep Dell Brook in two hours at that pace, and another dead horse,” said Texas Jack as he saw his chief dash away like the wind, settling himself in his saddle as he started down the hill, as though it really was his intention to reach the scene of the tragedy in two hours or kill the horse he rode.
The scouts were ready fifteen minutes after the departure of Buffalo Bill, and within half an hour the troop of Captain Caruth rode out of quarters on their path.
The scouts, twelve dashing fellows under Texas Jack, had settled down to a quick trot, and were just disappearing from sight in the distance when Captain Caruth started off with his men.
It was an hour before sunset when the scouts reached the Deep Dell Brook. They threw themselves from their horses to give them a rest, and they set about looking for “signs.”
The first thing they discovered was the horse ridden by Buffalo Bill. The animal was standing dead-beat in the stream, his appearance indicating that Buffalo Bill had gotten there with ample time to be far on the trail of the outlaws by that time.