"Of course we will," I replied, "for we want to keep on good terms with them."
At Camp Coyotelope, which we reached in time for dinner, Bill had to repeat to Tom and Jack all he had told me about his trip to the Kiowa village. During the afternoon we lounged about camp and at the approach of evening Jack and I saddled up and made the round of the wolf baits, putting out fresh strychnine for the night, and returned to camp in time to help demolish an excellent supper.
That evening Tom suggested to the scout:
"Bill, while you're here, suppose you an' me ride down to ol' To hausen's camp to-morrow to see where he is an' make sure that he ain't a-crowding on our huntin'-ground—what do you say?"
"It's a whack, Tom; I'll go you!" replied Bill, "an' we'll have a fair understanding with the ol' man about how far he's to allow his people to range up this way."
In the morning they saddled up and started to go to the Indian camp, but to our surprise Bill and Tom were back at camp by noon, just as Jack and I were getting ready for dinner.
"Why, what brought you back so soon?" I asked as they rode up and dismounted.
"Well," replied Tom, as they began unsaddling, "we found their camp only about eight miles down the creek—a little closer than I like to have 'em, but the Injuns promised that they wouldn't hunt up this way any farther or do anything to drive off the game in our range; but what brought us back so soon was that when we got there we found ol' To hausen sick in bed, an' I think he's threatened with a severe spell of pneumonia; an' after having a friendly talk with his people and watching the ol' man's symptoms, I made up my mind what was the matter with him, and I concluded that I'd hurry right back to camp and get some medicine for him and then go back and try to fetch the old man out of it. I'm sure he's got a serious case of lung fever, and if something ain't done to head it off pretty pronto he'll go up the spout. I learned a good deal about doctoring when I was hospital steward, an' I think I've got everything except one that I need for the treatment of this case in my little medicine-chest. Bill's going back to Fort Larned after dinner, and I want you to go with him and bring out the medicine that I'm lacking. You can go over to the fort this afternoon and get the stuff an' come back to-morrow forenoon and then bring it down to the Injun camp to me in the afternoon; for I'll go right back after dinner and go to work on the old man and try to head off that fever before it gets too strong a hold on him."
As we entered the dugout and sat down to dinner I thought to ask:
"What medicine is it that you want me to get, Tom? You forgot to tell me the name of it."