“I knows it, an’ after that thar’ll be shootin’. But I wants ter tell you thet after I left this Cap’n Corduroy and his men, the Chinee at the hotel come ter me and said that Panther Kate wanted ter see yer. She seems ter be afeared that thar’s trouble in the air, jest the same as I am.” Buffalo Bill seemed undisturbed. “Negotiate,” he said, “will you do me a favor?” “I’ll do it, ef it’s ter git drunk, Bill.” “I have an idea that I know who this Captain Corduroy is. If I am right, he is after my hair. Therefore, I want you to go back to the hotel and take a seat on the piazza, where you can watch them.” “I’ll do it, Bill.” “I’m going up there to see what they want. When you see me coming up the street, call out: “‘Here comes Buffalo Bill!’” “But that’ll give ’em warnin’, and they’ll be ready for ye, an’ lay ye out a cold corpus.” “I’ll be ready for them quite as soon as they can get ready for me. If they show signs to prove that I am their game, you wave your hat to me, and I’ll set the circus going. Now describe them to me.” This Old Negotiate did. Then, while Buffalo Bill went after his splendid black horse Midnight, Old Negotiate returned to the hotel. CHAPTER VII. BUFFALO BILL’S CHARGE. When Old Negotiate returned to the Cody Hotel he first sought the parlor, for the Chinese waiter told him he would there find Panther Kate. “I found Bill, miss,” said Old Negotiate. “I found him at the store, and he will be up heur soon, and ef yer wishes ter see a immortal row, just you lie low in this heur parler an’ wait fer ther music ter begin.” “Will you allow a number of men to attack your friend?” “Oh, I’ll be thar, miss, an’ thar shan’t be no underhan’ game played agin’ Bill. But I must leave you. Jist you wait heur a leetle.” With this remark Old Negotiate left the parlor. Panther Kate, riveted by a fascination she could not resist, remained standing at the window, half hidden by the heavy, coarse curtains, and waiting breathlessly for the coming of what the scout had called a “circus.” In the meantime Old Negotiate reëntered the bar and found the crowd still drinking heavily and getting more intoxicated each moment. But he saw that Captain Corduroy and his comrades, though they had seemingly drunk freely, were apparently more sober than when he left them, which further convinced him that they were playing a part and were not allowing themselves to lose control of their faculties. The reëntrance of Old Negotiate was greeted with a shout of welcome, and of course he had to drink, and Captain Corduroy treated; but Negotiate did not swallow the liquor, and watching closely he saw that the strangers also failed to drink the contents of their glasses, a circumstance none of the drunken crowd observed. Going out upon the piazza, Old Negotiate called out: “Pard strangers, thar comes a man, ef yer wants ter see one, who hesn’t got his ekal in these heur parts.”