And this warning was uttered just in time!
Riding a little to the right and in advance of the others, Sandy suddenly caught sight of his bunkmate, as he stood over the prostrate form of his pony, emptying his rifle in the direction whence the shot from the lone horseman had come.
“This way! This way! I’ve found him!” yelled the excited foreman of the Double Cross, turning in his saddle and beckoning to his fellows.
“Then drop him!”
“Don’t give him the chance to make another getaway!”
Loud and clear, these commands rang out, while Bowser and Hawks raced their ponies toward where Sandy was pointing.
Luckily for the cowpuncher, however, he had been close enough to the foreman when the latter discovered him to hear his hail to his fellows and also their answers.
And he realized if he were to save his life, there was no time to be lost!
“Don’t shoot! It’s I, Ki Yi! My horse was shot from under me!” he shouted at the top of his lungs, at the same time, however, taking the extra precaution to drop flat behind the body of his pony that it might protect him from the shell of some excited pursuer who had pulled the trigger of his rifle before clearly understanding the warning.
His words had been in time to prevent such a misfortune, however, and quickly his comrades were beside him.