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?” “It’s me.” “Yaw! Budt I tond’t know ‘me.’ Who iss ‘me’?” “Dugan. That you, Schnitz?” “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?” “Feared o’ the Utes,” said Elmore. “Where’s Cody? We was huntin’ fer his party.” “I am some uff his barty.” “Yes, I know it; where’s the others?” “Righdt ofer dhere. Nomat is vatching on der righdt site uff der gamp, unt Vilt Pill on der lefdt, unt Pill Petts on der odder, unt me here. Cody is scoudting roundt, unt saidt he vos going into der willage. From der noises I haf peen hearing I t’ink, py yiminy, dey musdt haf sbalped him alreaty.” “Yit you stay right hyer?” “Idt iss orders. Ve opey orders, uff somepoty gits kilt. Oddervise, uff Cody iss nodt kilt unt comes py dhis blace, he tond’t findt us here, unt dhere iss a mix-oop. Notting iss vorser as a mix-oop in der night. You hav somepoty caming pehint you--huh?” “Thar will be a crowd in the mornin’,” said Dugan. “I tell ye thar’s the biggest skeer goin’ on down in Blossom Range as ever ye see, ’count o’ the Utes chargin’ that crowd and killin’ Shepard. I tried to git a posse to come out to-night, but I couldn’t make it; nobody had the sand. Elmore said he’d come with me, and we’re hyer.” “Cody vill pe glad to seen you--yaw. He vants more men as he has got.” “Where will we find the rest of your crowd?” asked Dugan. “Go righdt aheadt. Vhen you have gone tventy yardts or so you petter call oudt, mitout too mooch noise, so dot you don’t git shodt.” They were about to move on. “But, in attition,” said the German, “I vouldt pe bleased uff vun of you couldt dake my blace standting here, as I am getting so mooch exercise uff my mindt apoudt Cody dot I shouldt like to make an inwestigadion. Tond’t vorgidt idt.”