Squeaky looked hard at Jack for a minute, and then, thinking perhaps that it would be as well to propitiate his captor, he replied:
“They’re in a little cabin on the other side of the valley down here. They’re all right; at least they were half an hour ago.”
“Very well,” said Jack. “Then I’ll go down and call upon them. You will have to stay here till I come back. I’ll leave you the dog for company; and let me recommend you to sit still—he bites sometimes. Here, Ulysses; mind him.”
Ulysses, who had left his perch on Toby’s back, advanced at the call, and, lying down with his chin upon his crossed paws, stared fixedly at the prisoner in a most embarrassing manner; upon which Jack, having patted the dog and repeated the command to “mind him,” shouldered his rifle, and, whistling to Toby to follow, walked off down the gully.
As he had surprised Squeaky, so he was destined to suffer a surprise himself, for, ten minutes later, he was impetuously assaulted by us two escaped prisoners, who, regardless of the rifle he instinctively presented at our heads, rushed from our fortification, scrambled over the barrier, and were “all over him” in a moment.
What a joyous meeting that was! What an immense relief to our minds to find ourselves once more together, alive and unharmed! It was hard to realize that we had been parted only for twenty-four hours; it seemed much more like twenty-four days.
Very few words sufficed to explain the situation; when, assuming the command again, Jack directed me to go back and look after Bates, while he and Percy returned to the pool to bring Squeaky down.
In a short time our two prisoners were seated side by side with their backs against the cabin wall, Ulysses and I standing guard over them, while Jack and Percy at a little distance discussed in low tones the somewhat difficult question as to what we were to do with them.
Percy presently came and relieved guard, and I then walked over to Jack, who explained to me the plan decided upon—subject to my approval.
It was, in brief, that we should set out at once for Bozeman, and there deliver up Squeaky to the authorities; charging him with kidnapping, or blackmailing, or whatever the proper term might be by which his offence was known to the law; at the same time giving information of the stolen horses, which were to be left in the valley.