“I hope he can take his time about it, sir, when his time comes, for no better man did I ever meet, nor do I care to know,” was the scout’s comment.
“If he has an enemy, Jack, it is an outlaw, an Indian, or a villain.”
“You are right, sir. But we had better get all the sleep we can, for we will be kept humping it to-morrow, if Buffalo Bill can find horses to ride.”
“Yes, he’s a rough and ready rider, and it would take a score of horses to break him down. Good night,” and, wrapping his blanket about him, the captain dropped off to sleep at once.
Texas Jack had said that all the men could rest, for he would keep watch, and he started off alone, leaving the whole camp in deep slumber.
He, too, had an iron frame, and lantern in hand he picked out the trail for a distance of some six or seven miles.
Then he returned to camp, on foot as he had gone, and, as it was yet an hour before dawn, aroused the men so that they could reach the place he had gone to before daylight, get breakfast, and be ready for the trail when able to see it.
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE COLONEL RECEIVES A LETTER.
Toward sunset of the day the troop and scouts started to follow Buffalo Bill upon the outlaws’ trail, a horseman was seen coming rapidly toward the fort.
He was coming along the trail from the post nearest above, where there was a more direct and frequent communication than from Pioneer Post with the East. It was soon seen that he was a military courier, and his coming was watched with great interest.