“Right ye aire, Buffler Bill!” exclaimed Tenny. “Gentleman Jim has allers been a queer fish—generous, squar’, an’ a man o’ nerve whenever nerve was needed. But everybody knows thar was somethin’ in his past life which he was keepin’ close. However, thet’s ther case with purty nigh every one in the gulch, an’ no one has ever showed a pryin’ dispersition so fur as Gentleman Jim is consarned.”
“But—well, he’s a gambler,” said Dell. “Even a ‘square’ gambler might be in better business.”
“Gentleman Jim will be in better business before many days,” said the scout. “His wife was coming to Sun Dance to find him, and Jim is eager to meet her, and then to turn his back on the gambling-table, return East and pick up his medical profession where he broke it off. When he leaves Sun Dance, mark my words, he’ll be a credit to any community that has the luck to get him.”
“I hope we shall find Mrs. Brisco,” said Dell softly.
“That’s what we’re here for,” said the scout briskly.
The walls of the left-hand fork began to narrow, and the ground under the horses’ hoofs to become rugged and difficult.
“We’ll do more travelin’ ter cover ther mile thet separates us from the Bluff,” averred Tenny, “than Jim an’ his party will. T’other fork o’ ther valley is tollable easy, compared ter this ’un. They’ll be at the Bluff afore we aire, too, an’ if they meet up with any trouble, it’ll be some leetle time afore we come close enough ter help. If I was ter choose trails, I’d shore hev picked out——”
Tenny was interrupted by a spurt of fire from overhead, followed by the sping of a rifle. His horse jumped, and his hat was whipped off as effectively as though some hand had reached out of the gloom and torn it from his head.
“Outlaws!” cried the scout, his quick wit instantly busying itself with the situation; “press close to the right wall—quick!”
The horses were swerved in the direction indicated, and a jab of the spurs carried them into the heavy shadow of the wall at a dozen jumps.