place?"
Mrs. Tanner was almost reduced to tears. She saw her offspring at the
edge of perdition at once.

But Bud ignored his mother and went on with his tale. "You jest oughta
seen Jap Kemp's face when I told him what that guy said to you! Some
face, b'lieve me! He saw right through the whole thing, too. I could see
that! He ner the men hadn't had a bite o' supper yet; they'd just got
back from somewheres. They thought the Kid was over here all day helping
you. He said yesterday when he left 'em here's where he's
a-comin'"--Bud's mouth was so full he could hardly articulate--"an' when
I told 'em, he jest blew his little whistle--like what they all
carry--three times, and those men every one jest stopped right where
they was, whatever they was doin'. Long Bill had the comb in the air
gettin' ready to comb his hair, an' he left it there and come away, and
Big Jim never stopped to wipe his face on the roller-towel, he just let
the wind dry it; and they all hustled on their horses fast as ever they
could and beat it after Jap Kemp. Jap, he rode alongside o' me and asked
me questions. He made me tell all what the guy from the fort said over
again, three or four times, and then he ast what time he got to the
school-house, and whether the Kid had been there at all yest'iday ur
t'day; and a lot of other questions, and then he rode alongside each man
and told him in just a few words where we was goin' and what the guy
from the fort had said. Gee! but you'd oughta heard what the men said
when he told 'em! Gee! but they was some mad! Bimeby we came to the
woods round the cabin, and Jap Kemp made me stick alongside Long Bill,
and he sent the men off in different directions all in a _big_ circle,
and waited till each man was in his place, and then we all rode hard as we
could and came softly up round that cabin just as the sun was goin' down.
Gee! but you'd oughta seen the scairt look on them women's faces; there
was two of 'em--an old un an' a skinny-looking long-drink-o'-pump-water.
I guess she was a girl. I don't know. Her eyes looked real old. There
was only three men in the cabin; the rest was off somewheres. They
wasn't looking for anybody to come that time o' day, I guess. One of the
men was sick on a bunk in the corner. He had his head tied up, and his
arm, like he'd been shot, and the other two men came jumping up to the
door with their guns, but when they saw how many men _we_ had they
looked awful scairt. _We_ all had _