Readily the others agreed and about an hour after taking their posts, they were startled to hear Ki Yi shout:
“Out there in the grass! Who are you? Speak before I count three—or I’ll shoot! One—t——”
“It’s Nig! No shoot!” quickly returned a voice, and a moment later, the aged scout was among them.
“What did you find?” inquired Bowser.
“Louie gone to catacombs. Um hit. Found trail blood. Paleface pony over to North, half mile.”
These responses brought delight to the avengers and quickly they were afoot.
“Nig, you ride with Pinky and show Ki Yi, who’ll take Sandy’s pony, where our horses are,” commanded Bowser. “Bring ’em in as soon as you can. I sure am itching to get on that raiding devil’s trail so I can get a shot at him.”
With alacrity, the three men mounted and galloped away, returning in a short time with all the ponies save the one Scalping Louie had appropriated for himself.
Not long did it take for the ranchmen and cowboys to mount and, with Slippery Nig riding to where he had left his pinto with Deadshot, they again took up the trail of the Midnight Raider.
Making all speed possible, scarce a word was spoken until they came in sight of the cell-honeycombed cliff looming in the distance.