“I’m agreeable, Cody,” declared the reckless lieutenant. “You haven’t any scruples about my shooting these road-agents if we come up with them?” “What do you mean, lieutenant?” asked Cody curiously. “What’s the burn?” “Why, you seemed to object to my potting that Injun gal, White Antelope.” The scout’s face clouded, and he shook his head. “Don’t jest over that, Dick.” “Pshaw! I’m not jesting. I spotted her only this morning--and stayed my hand. Otherwise she would be walking behind my chariot.” “White Antelope out this way?” exclaimed Cody wonderingly. “She sure was.” “Then there’s something afoot among the Sioux. We must look into this.” “But first the road-agents?” “Yes. First we’ll serve Boyd Bennett.” CHAPTER XIX. DANFORTH’S HAND IS STAYED AGAIN. It was decided, however, that the entire troop would return with the stage-coach to the scene of the original hold-up. Although Bennett had been driven off so successfully by the bluecoats, Buffalo Bill feared that he might meet up with the scalping party that had killed the paymaster and his guard, and take his gang over to this spot to search for the pay-chest that he was so sure his old enemy, the scout, had hidden. “We might have the luck to catch him on the ground. If not, we’ll pick up his trail as soon as we see a part of your men off with the coach and the treasure,” said Cody. The four horses drew the empty stage up the hill with little difficulty, and, surrounded by the troop of cavalry, it rattled back along the trail to the gruesome spot where Cody had first seen it. There Danforth set his men afoot, and at several points of vantage, to watch the road and the valley behind the ridge, while he and the scout went down into the swamp for the treasure-chest. They had one of the troopers follow them at a distance of a few rods. Their numbers were so few, and they were so scattered, that Danforth took every precaution against being ambushed. The day was waning, and they were obliged to hurry if they would fish out the chest and then pick up the trail of the outlaw gang before night. And Danforth was quite as eager as the scout to do this last. When they got into the wood which masked the swampy ground they alarmed a big caribou, which started slowly in the very direction they were taking. “That doesn’t look much as though there were either reds or whites lurking near,” muttered Cody. “By Jove, Bill! I want a shot at that fellow,” exclaimed Danforth eagerly. “He’s not going fast. Perhaps you can bring him down.” “I’m going to try. There, he’s stopped to feed again. He’s a cheeky old cuss.” “What you want him for? Your party is well provisioned.” “The colonel will be glad of a haunch of caribou venison. He’s fond of it, and the flesh is good now.” “All right, Dick. Take my gun. It’s better than yours.”