“Meanin’ Little Cayuse?” asked Pete.
“Who else?” returned Billings.
“Blame’ queer whar thet kid went ter, all of a sudden. He must hev got out o’ the wagon before Lawless an’ his gang come down on us, thet fust time. Anyways, it seems sure Lawless didn’t see him.”
“Maybe he was scared,” hazarded De Bray.
“Him? Scared?” Pete threw back his head and laughed huskily. “Why, De Bray, thet leetle Piute is skeer-proof. More’n likely he got an idee in his heathen mind, an’ laid out ter kerry it through. He’ll be heerd of, if I’m any prophet.”
“Well,” muttered De Bray, “I’m out twenty thousand, but I’d say good-by to the money with pleasure if we could only have that little lady back in this wagon with us.”
“I’d have stopped a bullet with my other arm for that,” put in Hotchkiss.
“Too bloomin’ bad!” growled Pete, trying to tie up his shoulder with a handkerchief. “Whyever did he want ter take the woman away with him, this hyer whelp of a Lawless? He wasn’t figgerin’ on thet the fust time.”
“Thet locket had everythin’ ter do with it,” said Billings.
“That letter you’re to take to Gentleman Jim may give us a clue to the scoundrel’s actions,” suggested De Bray.