And they feared pursuit and a worse thrashing than they had already endured. They clamored to be led away from the place, and Boyd Bennett, gnashing his teeth in impotent rage, was forced to agree. Every man of them had a fear of Buffalo Bill, the Border King. How he could have gotten ahead of them, and been in the teamsters’ encampment when they made their attack, added to the superstitious veneration in which the outlaws had begun to hold the great scout. Heretofore they had held Boyd Bennett as a better man than Cody; but now they began to doubt. Besides, several of them did not approve of his bearing away the Indian girl from her village. While Bennett had posed as the medicine chief of the Sioux, they were all sure of being treated well by the savages. Some of them had taken Indian wives and were living in ease and plenty--the lazy, irresponsible existence of the “squaw-man.” Boyd Bennett’s unhappy attachment for the chief’s daughter had brought the gang together again, and old-time loyalty had caused them to answer his command. But they now believed that they had lost more than they should gain. All the Sioux would be down upon them, and so they would be at enmity with every man they met in the forest and on the plain, both red and white! White Antelope showed plainly that she would never yield to Boyd Bennett’s demand and espouse him. While he was with the Indians and wielding so much influence as Death Killer, the medicine-man, she had spurned his advances. Much more did she hold him in contempt now. And Boyd Bennett, too, was acting very strangely. Evil ways and evil desires were turning the man’s brain. He acted without judgment. Now he unloosed White Antelope, caught her up to his saddle, and rode away with his men without as much as looking for traces of Buffalo Bill in the vicinity, or learning if in reality the freighters were inclined to follow up their advantage and push the attack. They swam the river and made for another exit from the valley. But their horses were pretty well done up, and they could get only a spurt of speed out of them now and then. Besides, Boyd Bennett’s own mount refused after a time to carry double. This necessitated one of the other ruffians carrying White Antelope before him on his saddle. The chance afforded the chief villain an escape from certain death. The party were aiming to leave the valley by the way the broadening river flowed; but they were some distance from the river’s side. Through the uncertain light of early morning they did not see a tireless white horse carrying its rider down the opposite bank until they reached a ford, through which the stallion splashed to the side of the stream on which the bandits rode. It was the avenger on the villain’s trail; but they did not suspect that again Buffalo Bill had ridden ahead of them. Chief was tireless.