It was not the gems she thought of, but her lover. “And the emeralds?” said Buffalo Bill. “They are here,” she said. “I concluded to carry them myself. The stage was attacked right here by masked men. They took my watch and purse, but didn’t know of the emeralds; but they carried away Bruce! He must be--be followed at once.” Buffalo Bill slipped out of the saddle. “Where are the other passengers?” he said. “What became of them?” “They went on in the stage, after the holdup. The driver whipped up his horses and drove on; but I threw open the coach door and leaped out. I couldn’t go on, for Bruce had been seized and carried away by the road agents. I wanted to do something to help him; but when I got back here the road agents were gone. They seemed in a great hurry, and did their work quickly.” “Did you get a look at the face of any one of them?” Pawnee Bill asked. “They were masked.” “What kind of horses did they ride?” “I don’t know; Indian ponies, it seems to me.” “And they went south?” “Yes; toward the mountains.” Lena declared her belief that the road agents had taken young Clayton because they had received word in some manner of the emeralds, and believed he was carrying them. “When they discover their mistake,” she said, “they may kill him!” She looked appealingly at Buffalo Bill. “I risked my life to save you from the fire, Mr. Cody,” she reminded; “and now I ask in return that you help me to rescue Bruce from the hands of those men, if it can be done. It must be done, if he is not slain by them at once, or as soon as they find he hasn’t the emeralds.” Buffalo Bill was ready to give her the promise asked. “One of us will go with you to the railroad, or back to Glendive,” he said; “and the others will follow the outlaws as fast as possible.” “No, no!” she cried. “I am going with you!” Altogether, it seemed to him that the situation was unique. The outlaws had attacked the stage to get possession of the emeralds. Not finding them, and believing that young Clayton had them, they were carrying him away, and had gone in great haste. And now the girl who really carried on her person the coveted gems was urging a pursuit of the road agents, and declaring her intention of taking part in it. “We have no horse for you,” he said, to dissuade her. “Besides, we need a larger force, for there will probably be a fight. If one of us conducts you to Glendive, or the railroad, he could summon help.” “The delay will be too great,” she urged. “Those men ought to be followed at once, and we can’t weaken your force by sending a man away. Some chance may come to help Bruce. And I must go with you.” She looked at the scout’s horse. “Your horse will carry double, I think; and you’ll find me a good horsewoman. I can mount behind you.”