Black John had the buckskin bag of emeralds at the moment in an inner pocket of his coat, but he did not mention that to them. He had made up his mind to keep the emeralds for himself. Another desire had come into his heart--the desire to rid himself forever of the pursuit of Buffalo Bill and his companions. Buffalo Bill had an unpleasant way of taking a trail and staying with it until he accomplished what he set out for. To stop Buffalo Bill it would be necessary to kill him. Of that Black John was certain. So now he had planned to compass the death of Buffalo Bill and his comrades, and to capture the girl. If the girl was captured and the emeralds were not found on her, that could not be charged to him; and if she should admit that they had been hidden, and should point out the place, and then they were not found, that could not be charged against him. Altogether, he fancied he had worked out a clever plan, and at once proposed it. “Ride on,” he said, “and I’ve got a proposition to talk over as we go.” He stared at the prisoner through the holes of his black half mask, and Bruce Clayton returned the stare with interest. It was a strange-looking cavalcade that moved on--the prisoner bound and tied to his horse in the midst of those masked figures. Black John unfolded his plan: “We can lay fer ’em and trap ’em, and git the emeralds from the girl, and at the same time wipe out Buffalo Bill and the devils that aire with him. It’s the trick to play.” It did not suit Toby Sam, the coward. And others of the gang shared his feelings and his fears. Buffalo Bill, Pawnee Bill, and old Nick Nomad were noted as the most desperate fighters of the border, and they were men not easy to trap. It was a certain thing that in an attempt to “wipe them out,” some of the outlaws would meet death. Toby Sam and those who thought as he did were not yet ready to die. “It’d be a better and a safer plan,” said Toby Sam, “if we git word to ’em that we’ll swap this young feller fer the emeralds. That girl will jump at the offer, fer she’s goin’ to marry this feller. She’ll take that bait quick; and, as far as the young feller is concerned, we don’t want him, and if we keep him we’ll jes’ have to kill him.” Even as he talked, Toby Sam looked backward, fearing to see the pursuing scouts. “If we git them emeralds,” he added, “and make a divvy, we’ll be that well fixed fer money that we can quit this hyer other bizness we’ve been workin’.” He meant the mustang catching. They followed mustang catching as a blind. As mustangers, they had an excuse for being in that part of the country, and for shifting from point to point; and mustanging explained the money they occasionally displayed in the gambling resorts and saloons of the towns. They did not really care for mustanging, though they were glad enough to sell the mustangs they caught.