They were moving away from the centre of disturbance and apparently increasing their chances.
“Whar did ye leave the rest o’ the boys?” Betts asked, as they stood up in the shadow of this lodge.
“Brother Bill would be surprised, I reckon, if he knowed I was here. He says I allus take too big risks. Shall we make a run fer the aidge o’ the village now? The distance ain’t more’n a hundred feet. Thar’s a heap o’ noise goin’ on, and I reckon we could make a lot of racket without bein’ heard by the crazy Utes.”
“I think your brother Bill is right in saying that you are inclined to take unnecessary risks. If we make a dash to get out of here we may be seen and might be shot. Caution still stands us in hand, I think.”
The scout stooped again, and, clinging to the shadow of the lodge as long as he could, he worked his way toward the outer circle of lodges.
Fortunately, interest in another quarter kept them from being seen.
Nomad and his pards were guarding the camp, Baron von Schnitzenhauser being on the side toward the town. Hearing something, he dropped down, the characteristic question whispering from his lips, and stared hard into the darkness.
The sound, which had been like that of crashing feet, had stopped. The baron did not know but that an Indian had tried to come upon him, though an Indian, unless intoxicated, would hardly have made so much noise.
“Der Inchuns haf peen howling so mooch dot maype I am hearing t’ings vhen dare aind’t notting to seen,” he muttered.
Then he heard the sounds again, unmistakable footsteps coming toward him.
The baron lifted his forty-five revolver and poked it at the sounds.
“Uff you tond’t vant to gidt shodt you vill sbeak so quickness like I dell you,” he commanded. “Who iss idt?”
“Yaw! Budt I tond’t know ‘me.’ Who iss ‘me’?”
“Oh, idt iss Dugan? Der shepidy deriff--I mean der debudy sheriff. Uff you ar-re sure dot you aind’t makin’ a misdake you may come on.”
When Dugan, deputy sheriff, came on, Schnitzenhauser discovered that he had a man with him.
“I’m Hank Elmore, stage driver,” said the second man, reaching out his hand to the German.
“You haf peen in more danger righdt now as in eeny holdt-oop,” the baron told him; “vhen I gand’t seen you, I am come mighdy nigh shooding you. Why you make der sneak?”