"I did. He's lying down the ravine yonder, a little way. He and another had me corralled here all night, but I got Broken Nose and Wild Bill got the other."
While I cooked breakfast I told them all about my little affair of the past night.
"While the coffee's a-boiling, lieutenant," said Jack after I had finished, "come on and we'll go and take a look at the dead Injuns. I want to make sure that they're good and dead."
"While you're at it, go over to the brush yonder, behind the burnt haystack, and bring in the two Indians' ponies. I haven't had time to gather them in yet."
In a little while they returned, bringing the horses and tying them to the wagon.
"You and Bill sure did a good job on them two," said Jack as he and Wilson re-entered the cabin. "I'm only sorry I didn't have the pleasure of doing the business for old Broken Nose myself, for I was owing him that."
We had just finished eating our breakfast when one of the soldiers called out:
"Here comes Wild Bill riding like the devil was after him! Wonder what's up?"
Looking in the direction that Saunders's party had gone, we saw the scout coming back alone, riding rapidly.
When he reached us he said that Captain Saunders and two of his men were wounded, one horse killed and several wounded. One soldier was thought to be fatally hurt; and Bill had come for our team and wagon to haul them to our camp, as the two soldiers were unable to sit on their horses.
We were soon busy hitching up the mules while Bill gave us the particulars of their fight. It appeared that in chasing the fleeing Kiowas, Bill, accompanied by several soldiers, had become separated from Saunders and the main party, and the scout, not being at hand to guide the captain, the latter in his eager pursuit of the enemy had made the mistake of closely following the Indians into the timber, which blunder they had anticipated and had ambushed the soldiers.
"I thought Cap. knew better than that," said Bill, "but it was partly my fault. I knew he'd never fought Injuns before, and I ought to have stayed with him and stopped him short of the brush."
In spite of his crippled condition, old Tom came hobbling out of the dugout, with his little medicine-chest and a bundle of rags under his arm for bandages, and insisted on going with the team to do what he could for the wounded.