“Not a thing,” returned the scout. “Why, Nick, I never saw your nerves in such shape before. Forget about the spooks; at least, until you tell me what I want to know.”
The old trapper gulped, calmed himself with an effort, and went on.
“Waal, as I was er sayin’, Smith acted mighty quare. He slid through ther bushes ter ther slope leadin’ down inter ther cañon, an’ then he went down ther cañon, keepin’ in ther bushes all ther way. I was right arter him all ther time, kase I’d made up my mind ter keep ter ther trailin’ so long as he acted suspicious thet away.
“I reckon we must hev tramped two er three miles, hanging ter ther scrub all ther way, an’ never once showin’ ourselves in ther trail. Then”—and Nomad’s voice dropped wonderingly—“somethin’ happened ter me. Et come from behind, an’ I ain’t yet shore in my mind as ter what et was. Everythin’ got black in front er my eyes, an’ I didn’t remember nothin’ more till I come to in this place, roped an’ gagged like ye found me.
“Thar was two er three men around me, an’ one of ’em was Smith, ther feller I was trailin’. Thet feller ain’t no Easterner, Buffler, ye kin take my word fer thet.”
“Wah-coo-tah opened my eyes regarding J. Algernon Smith, Nick,” returned the scout. “The fellow’s a fake. His name is not Smith, but Lawless.”
“What!” cried Nomad. “Cap’n Lawless?”
“The same; and he is supposed to own this mine. Captain Lawless, too, is Wah-coo-tah’s father.”
“Wuss an’ wuss!” muttered Nomad, falling back against the wall. “This hyar is sartinly a day fer surprises. Ther gang, with Lawless at ther head, is workin’ some game. When they left me, Lawless told the fellers with him thet Bingham was expected on this arternoon’s stage from Montegordo, although who Bingham is, or why they’re expectin’ him, is too many fer me. Lawless said Bingham wouldn’t come ter ther Forty Thieves ontil ter-morrer, even ef he did git in on this arternoon’s stage, an’ thet they could come back hyar an’ take keer o’ me ter-night. Then they hiked out, an’, I reckon, pulled up ther ladders arter ’em.”
The scout mused for a moment.