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They too seemed to be coming to camp, though I could not imagine that my shouts had carried so far. I burst in on Bagsby, who was smoking his pipe and leisurely washing the breakfast dishes, with a whoop, lifted him bodily by the shoulders, whirled him around in a clumsy dance. He aimed a swipe at me with the wet dish cloth that caught me across the eyes.
He went on to argue that thus he had prepared their minds for the fact that pack-horses would soon be going out. By distributing the gold its presence would be unsuspected. I suggested a strong guard, but both Bagsby and Don Gaspar opposed me. "There's enough of these yere robbers to git us anyhow, even if we all went," said Bagsby, "and that's why I want to send the stuff out now.
He sat upright and peered at us through the dim moonlight. "Want to get after them?" he inquired. "You bet!" said Buck emphatically, "They may have McNally, and if they haven't, they've got our horses." "There's six of us and we can shore make it interesting for that lot," agreed Yank. "Can we get to where they are?" "I think so," said Bagsby.
However, he bowed to our decision with his usual gracious courtesy. As hunting companion for Bagsby we appointed Missouri Jones, with the understanding that every two days that office was to have a new incumbent. Johnny, McNally, and I took charge of the dry wash, and the rest of the party tackled the bar. Of course we all except Bagsby were to share equally.
We collected our effects, packed them, as many of them as we were able, and sunk to sleep in a pleasing tingle of excitement. Bagsby got us up long before daylight. The air was chilly, in contrast to the terrific heats to be expected later in the day, so we hastened to finish our packing, and at dawn were off. Bagsby struck immediately away from the main road toward the north.
He still held his long-barrelled rifle, which he presented at whoever neared him. "I tell you, look out!" he kept saying over and over. "I'm shootin' lunatics to-day; and apparently there's plenty game to choose from." We should all have liked to start right in digging, but Bagsby strenuously opposed this.
The air turned very chilly. We built ourselves a fire of dried branches from the trees. In the meadow the horses cropped eagerly at the lush green feed, their bells tinkling pleasantly. Nothing more remote could be imagined. Nevertheless Bagsby, Don Gaspar, and Vasquez were not satisfied. They consulted at length and apart; then Bagsby announced that sentries must stand watches.
"We lost him in the darkness not two hours back." They set to frying some venison steak. Excitedly and in antiphony Johnny and I detailed the day's adventure. Both the backwoodsmen listened in silence, but without suspending their cooking. "They didn't bother McNally," Bagsby decided.
"I couldn't see the sign of a track for a mile at a time, on that hard ground," interpolated Johnny. At length the tracks had struck into a beaten trail. "And then we knew we were on the way to the rancheree," said Bagsby. The village they found located in a flat by the side of a stream, and they halted to determine just what to do.
The moment one of us had advanced one of these objections he was at once himself the most eager to demolish it. Thus we gradually worked ourselves toward enthusiasm. "If Sam Bagsby would join us, it might be worth trying," we came to at last. But Sam Bagsby scouted any such idea. "I ain't that kind of a tom-fool," said he. "If I want to paddle my hands blue I'd do it yere.
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