Others of the party did not share this feeling. Without going into the causes of the Indian troubles, it can safely be said that the frontiersmen generally believed that the tribes were dangerous and not to be trusted. In any difficulty between a white and a red man they assumed the latter was to blame. Many old-timers held that the only way to settle the Indian question was to exterminate the tribes or at least reduce them to impotence.
The pursuers followed a hot trail. Twice they had a brush with the rear guard of the flying Utes, during which Bob heard bullets singing above his head. He felt a very unpleasant sinking in the pit of his stomach, and could hardly resist the temptation to slip out of the saddle and take refuge behind the horse he was riding.
The rangers and the soldiers reached Bear Cat long after dark. Dud and Reeves had ridden into town ahead of their companions, so that when the rest came in they found a hot supper waiting for them on the plaza.
June helped serve the weary men. Big fires had been built on the square and by the light of the flames Bob could see her slim figure flitting to and fro. Afterward, when the meal was at an end, he saw Dud Hollister walking beside her to the hotel. The cowpuncher was carrying a load of dishes and supplies. It would have surprised Bob to learn that he was the subject of their conversation.
For the first time Dud had heard that day from Blister the story of the mad dog episode. He made June tell it to him again from her viewpoint. When she had finished he asked her a question.
“Anybody ever tell you about the fight Bob had with Bandy Walker?”
The light in her dark eyes quickened. “Did they have a fight?” she asked evenly, with not too great a show of interest.
“I dunno as you could rightly call it a fight,” Dud drawled. “Bob he hammered Bandy, tromped on him, chewed him up, an’ spit him out. He was plumb active for about five minutes.”
“What was the trouble?”
“Bandy’s one o’ these mean bullies. He figured he could run on Bob. The boy took it meek an’ humble for a week or so before he settled with Bandy generous an’ handsome. The bow-legged guy might have got away with it if he hadn’t made a mistake.”