n't be hurt, Hunky Ben, I don't for one moment question your
courage, only I fancied that if you saw any one rescuing an outlaw you
would have tried to put a bullet into him whether he happened to be a
man or a ghost."

"But I have told you," broke in Buck Tom with something of his old fire,
"that Leather is _not_ an outlaw."

"I have only _your_ word for that, and you know what that is worth,"
returned the captain. "I don't want to be hard on one apparently so
near his end, and to say truth, I'm inclined to believe you, but we know
that this man Leather has been for a long time in your company--whether
a member of your band or not must be settled before another tribunal.
If caught, he stands a good chance of being hanged. And now," added the
captain, turning to a sergeant who had entered the cave with him, "tell
the men to put up their horses as best they may. We camp here for the
night. We can do nothing while it is dark, but with the first gleam of
day we will make a thorough search of the neighbourhood."

While the troopers and their commander were busy making themselves as
comfortable as possible in and around the cave, the scout went quietly
up to the clump of wood where Leather was in hiding, and related to that
unfortunate all that had taken place since he left him.

"It is very good of you, Hunky, to take so much interest in me, and
incur so much risk and trouble; but do you know," said Leather, with a
look of surprise, not unmingled with amusement, "you are a puzzle to me,
for I can't understand how you could tell Captain Wilmot such a heap o'
lies--you that has got the name of bein' the truest-hearted scout on the
frontier!"

"You puzzle me more than I puzzle you, Leather," returned the scout with
a simple look. "What lies have I told?"

"Why, all you said about what you saw and heard when you said you were
eavesdroppin' must have been nonsense, you know, for how could you hear
and see what took place in the cave through tons of rock and earth?"

"How I saw and heard, my son Leather, is a private affair of my own, but
it was no lie."

Leather looked incredulous.

"Then you said," he continued, "that you didn't see the man that carried
me away."

"No more I did, boy. I _never_ saw him!"

"What! not even in a looking-glass?"

"Not even in a lookin'-glass," returned Hunky. "I've seed his
_reflection_ there many a time,--an' a pretty good-lookin' reflection it
was--but I've never see'd himse