“How far is Panther Pete’s home from this place?” Garland hesitated; not because he did not know, but to pretend a hesitation he did not feel. “Speak up!” commanded Wild Bill tartly. “I don’t know jes’ how far,” said Garland. “You could lead us to the place, of course?” “Y-es, I--guess I could.” “We’ll have you do that. You’ve just come from there?” “Y-es.” “Bear in mind,” said Wild Bill, “that, if any trickery is played, you’ll be dropped first thing with a bullet through you. There will be no fooling.” Garland’s face paled a little. These men had a reputation for being quick and sure shots, and he knew the danger he had placed himself in. Then his nerve returned. “If I’m shot,” he said, “it will be by some o’ ther boyees, or by ther boss, fer betrayin’ ’em, I’m thinkin’.” They tied his hands, and then compelled him to mount to the back of his horse. Wild Bill mounted behind him, and Buffalo Bill tied the feet of the rascal together under the horse’s belly. “We’ve got a horse apiece now, old pard,” said Wild Bill, laughing. “I didn’t think we’d stay long without mounts for both of us. Now, heave ahead, Sam. And, mind you, no trickery. We won’t stand it.” Garland indicated the direction to be taken, which he claimed was the right direction to Panther Pete’s stronghold. In reality the direction he pointed out was that toward the “trap” into which the “stool pigeons” were instructed to decoy pursuers. So they rode along, with Garland and Wild Bill leading the way. CHAPTER XLIII. THE CAPTURE OF PANTHER PETE. Panther Pete was not dead. The sturdy blow of the girl had felled him, and he had fallen insensible to the earthen floor, and there he lay for some time as unconscious as a log. For the girl had struck hard, and she had struck true, though her strength did not enable her to deliver a blow of skull-cracking force. Panther Pete came back to consciousness, and himself discovered that the girl was gone, and that the door of the hut stood wide open. The discovery stirred him into renewed life. He crawled out of the hut and called for aid; and, when he gained the attention of some of his men, he berated them in hard language for their inattention, which had enabled the girl to escape thus from the hut, and pass, as she had done, almost through the midst of the camp. It was at this juncture that the outcry was raised which the girl heard as she fled away through the pass toward the more open country beyond. Panther Pete staggered into his own hut, and took down from a shelf a bottle of whisky, from which he drank, tipping it to his lips, and drinking deep and long. The fiery stuff brought back his strength somewhat, and put a furious courage into his heart. The top of his head had a lump on it that was swelling fast, and felt as big as a goose egg; but, when one of his men examined the place, they could not find that the skin had been broken.