“Don’t be alarmed, man, for she only went by Jack Jessop’s coach this morning to Pioneer City to see her lawyer, who wrote to her that he was laid up there with rheumatism, and wished both of you to come on there. “As she did not know you would return, she went alone; but what ails you, sergeant?” “Colonel Carr, that letter was a trick of the outlaw chief to get my child into his clutches again!” gasped the sergeant. The words of the sergeant fairly startled the colonel, and he looked anxiously toward the scout and said: “Cody, the sergeant is too deeply moved to speak. “Tell me yourself what this means?” “It means, colonel,” answered Buffalo Bill, “that while in the Indian lines Sergeant Fallon had a long talk with Eagle, the outlaw leader, and became his ally in an intended capture of himself, the sergeant, and Miss Fallon. A compact was entered into between them, as I understood it from Sergeant Fallon, that he should inveigle himself and Miss Fallon to take the coach to Pioneer City, and he would hold it up and capture them. “The outlaw had seen Miss Fallon’s papers and letters, when she was his captive, copied the address of her lawyer, and secreted a letter of his so as to forge his writing and signature. “A letter to her was to be written from Pioneer City, pretending to come from the lawyer and saying, as he was laid up and unable to come to the fort, she must come to him on a most important legal matter that he would explain.” “I see it all, and she has fallen into the trap, for it was to Pioneer City that the outlaw went to carry out his infernal plot. Sergeant, you have my deepest sympathy, and we will do all we can to rescue your daughter, I assure you.” “I feel that, sir; but she is now in that man’s power, and----” “Colonel Carr, may I offer a suggestion?” said Buffalo Bill suddenly. “Out with it, Cody.” “The outlaw crossed the river at a point beyond the upper ford, the Indians told the sergeant, at a secret ford known to him alone. “Now, I believe he carried Indians along with him, so a trail will be left, and if he has captured Miss Lucille he will most surely take her to the village of old Iron Eyes, for nowhere else could he carry her in safety.” “Yes, Cody.” “If he held up the coach to-day it was on the other side of Cañon River bridge, and it is as far for him to ride from there to his secret crossing of the river as it is for us to go down from here, and by hard riding we could get there first, sir; begging your pardon, if we could start at once, push through and meet Lieutenant Worth, we could----” “Cody, you have hit the nail on the head, and you and the sergeant shall start within half an hour on your ride. “You, sergeant, can ride my best charger, Spur, for he needs exercise, and Lieutenant Worth will go back with you and take what men he deems necessary, leaving the command to Lieutenant Percy to bring on. Say to Lieutenant Worth, sergeant, that such is my wish.