t I catched an Injin boy who was wandering outside the camp.
I choked him, so that he couldn't hollo, and carried him off; and when I
got far enough away I questioned him, and found that in two days there
was to be a grand feast, and Black Dog was then going to take the white
gal as his squaw. So I saw as there was no time to be lost. I strapped
up the Indian boy and tied him to a tree, and then went back to the
village.

"This time the gal was sitting at the door of the tent. I crept up
behind, cut a slit in the skins, and got inside. As I expected, there
was no one in there, the squaws as was watching her was outside; so I
crept up close to the entrance, and I says to her, 'Hush! don't move,
your scout Dick is here.' She gave a little tremble when I began, and
then sat as still as a mouse.

"Says I, 'I don't see no plan for getting you away secret, you are
watched altogether too close, the only plan is to make a race for it.
There ain't many horses on the plain as can beat that mustang of yours,
and I know you can ride him barebacked. Do you take a head of maize now
and walk across to where he is picketed, and feed and pat him; then
to-morrow morning early do the same. They won't be watching very
closely, for they will think you are only going to do the same as
to-night. I have put an open knife down behind you. You cut his rope,
jump on his back, and ride straight; I will join you at the bottom of
the valley. They may overtake us, but they won't hurt you; if they do
catch you, they will just bring you back here again, and you will be no
worse off than you are now. Will you try?' The gal nodded, and I crept
away out of sight.

"A few minutes afterwards I saw her going along with some ears of maize
to where the horses were tied up. Two Indians followed her at a little
distance, but she walked across so natural that I don't think they had
any suspicion; she fed the horse, and talked to it, and petted it, and
then went back to the village. Next morning, before daylight, I mounted
my horse and rode to the mouth of the valley, a quarter of a mile from
the village.

"Half an hour after daylight I heard a yell, and almost directly
afterwards the sounds of a horse's hoofs in full gallop. I rode out, and
along she came as hard as the horse could go. Three or four mounted
Indians war just coming into the other end of the valley four hundred
yards away.

"'All right, Queen May, we have got a fine start,' says I, and then w