“Yes—she was the ‘spirit,’ Nick, who spoke to us from the cellar of the Alcazar, and she may become a spirit in reality if something is not done for her very soon. She was shot, by Lawless himself, in the level of the Forty Thieves.”
“By Lawless!” echoed Wild Bill angrily. “There’s a hound for you. His own daughter, amigos.”
“Lawless is capable of anything,” went on the scout; “but just now that is neither here nor there. Dell and I were in the level and it was Wah-coo-tah who saved our lives. She must be taken as soon as possible to Sun Dance. Is there a doctor there, or shall we have to take her to Montegordo?”
“Gentleman Jim,” said Hank Tenny, “is a better man with the surgeon’s knife and with medicine than he is with the keerds. He ampertated Gusty Williams’ leg, thet time a blast went off an’ smashed it, an’ he——”
“Gentleman Jim will do, anyhow, until we can get another doctor from Montegordo. But we need the horses. Is it possible to get them up here from the gully?”
“Wuh!” said Little Cayuse.
“He means,” said Pete, “thet we kin git the critters up the same way us fellers come. But it’ll be a scramble.”
“We’ll do it, though,” declared Hank Tenny. “Leave the scout with his pards, boys, an’ we’ll go arter the hosses.”
Blake, Tenny, Pete, and Cayuse started off among the boulders toward the point where the gully entered the cañon. Blake assured Cayuse it wouldn’t be necessary for him to go along, but Cayuse would let no one besides himself do anything with Navi.
“While the horses are coming, pards,” said the scout to Nomad and Wild Bill, “we might go down to the shelf and bring up Wah-coo-tah. Two of us can carry her up easier than she could ride.”