"What is it? Out with the whole of it! We heard the shot and a scream, and got ourselves together for any thing rough that might turn up."
"Come on. I can tell you every thing as we go. That fool of a girl has been gobbled up by the copper-skins, and that when I had six good men out for them. She'll be fifty miles away up in the mountains by morning."
The truth, as it was spoken rapidly by Martin, stirred Endicott into instantaneous action.
"Never mind cacheing the dunnage, I'll bear the damage. Is every thing ready for a start?" he exclaimed.
"You can just gamble on that yere," was the response of Lariat Dan.
"Then mount and away. Twenty-five dollars apiece extra pay for the extra work, and every thing else goes on the same!"
"That's the right ring! Count us boys in on this yere frolic—up and git," said Dan.
Endicott's followers fell in with those of Martin, and the whole body swept rapidly away, Martin, some yards in advance, heading toward the trail of the Indians, which passed the camp not many yards distant. Those few yards were soon traversed, and, with scarce an effort, the trail was found. There it lay before them, fresh, full and deep. As they ranged upon it, Endicott drew up to the leader. At the pace they were going, a free, steady gallop, conversation could be held with perfect ease, and he wished to gather the particulars of the catastrophe as well as learn the probable result.
"It seems to me the girl is born to be the center of a mix, and just lives to make and be in trouble. I've got the whole thing down to a point now—might have seen it at once if I hadn't had my ideas turned off thinking of what you had been saying to me to-night. What there is in her white face and staring eyes I can't see; but she's bewitched a dozen or so, and in the lot there's a red-skin that's been into my camp two or three times in the last year. That red-skin has made the difficulty now."
"Then there's little danger of her coming to any immediate harm?"