That the man was Squeaky we had no doubt, but there being no cover, as Bates had said, we did not see how we were to come upon him unawares and make him surrender, which was what we had hoped to do. We might shoot him in the back, without doubt, but such a course was out of the question, nor did it, I believe, occur to any of us.
“I’ll tell you a way of doing it,” whispered Bates. “You three go round through the trees until you get behind him, and wait there. I’ll walk straight down to him from here. He won’t shoot at me. I’ll get into conversation with him, and if I can find the opportunity I’ll capture his rifle and run off with it in your direction. If I can’t get his rifle I’ll tackle him, and then you must run down as fast as you can to my assistance. It is rather a mean, under-hand way of doing it, and so, if you will, I should be glad if you would let him go again after we have got back the horses. What do you say?”
Jack thought a little, and then shook his head.
“No, no,” said he. “It’s too dangerous. You can’t trust a fellow like that. He thinks he has got these horses all to himself, and if you appear he’ll suppose you have come to claim your share, and he is just as likely as not to shoot you. It’s too risky. I won’t agree to that.”
“But, look here,” Bates argued. “I promised to do my best to help you get your horses back, and here’s my chance. Besides, I don’t believe he’ll shoot. At any rate I’m willing to try it.”
But Jack would not consent, and Percy and I backing up his opinion, Bates was obliged to give in.
“You are a good fellow, Bates,” said Jack, “to be willing to take the risk, but, you see, we are all against it. I’ll tell you another way that I think may work; a way by which, if there is any shooting to be done, we’ll do it—though I hope there’ll be no occasion. We will all go round through the trees until we get behind him, and then we’ll step out of cover and walk straight down upon him as quietly as possible. When we get pretty close we will call upon him to surrender. If he shows fight—why, then, I suppose we shall have to shoot. I’ll fire first, as I’m responsible for this whole business, but if I miss you must fire. What do you think? Would you rather keep out of the business altogether? I sha’n’t blame you if you would.”
Though Percy and I—and Jack, too, for that matter—had the strongest disinclination to shoot at a man, we could not leave our captain to “go it alone,” as he plainly intended to do, and after an instant’s hesitation we both agreed to his plan.
“All right, then,” whispered Jack. “Let us go ahead at once. Mind your footing. Don’t make a noise. Rifles loaded? Cock ’em, then, and come on.”
Keeping well within the trees, we started off, Jack in the lead this time, and walking round the valley until we thought we had reached the proper point, we halted again.