With one mighty effort, an effort that took every bit of strength that was in him, the officer managed to writhe his body about so as to face his assailant. As he did so he gave vent to a hoarse cry of horror. It was not Texas!
And the next instant Allen felt the arms about him relax, felt a clawlike hand clutch him by the throat and drive his head back, fling him to the ground and grasp his windpipe with a force that made him gasp, made him writhe, made him turn blue in the face. Then everything grew dark before him.
CHAPTER XXIX.
THE END OF IT ALL.
Mark Mallory lay hiding in the bushes at the edge of the camp. There was little for Mark to do except to wait, to wait with all possible patience. It did not seem likely that anything would happen until Texas returned.
The camp was perfectly silent and motionless; that figure which left it was the last to appear. The moonlight shone on the white tents with a ghostly pallor, which the dancing camp-fires served to increase. But there was no sign of Bull or his friends—either behind or before. Mark kept watch in both directions.
He waited perhaps five minutes thus. Then he began to think that it was time for Texas to return. He allowed him opportunity to reach the clearing and hurry back; there was no reason for his delaying. And consequently when he did not come it was a very short while indeed before his friend became suspicious. Something must have kept Powers; and if something were keeping him who could it be but Bull?
A good deal hinged upon Mark’s next action, as it happened. But he had not the least idea of that—of the danger he was to run into. The problem as it presented itself to him was that Texas didn’t return promptly, as he had said he would; and for that there must be some reason. That reason Mark must find.
“It won’t do any harm to take a run back there and see,” he mused. “Bull and that gang may have overpowered Texas in spite of his guns.”
There was no sign of trouble in camp. With this idea in his mind, the plebe arose hastily and without a moment’s hesitation, started back into the woods. He, too, was becoming suspicious and he clutched his revolver tightly.