“They’re foxy as they make ’em,” opined Sam grimly; “the critters are cookin’ up some deep plan to circumvent us, or I’m a Dutchman.  Jest wait an’ see if they ain’t.”

“If anybody thinks them red devils ain’t watching us closer than a cat watches a mouse,” said Buck, “I’ll just prove it to ’em mighty pronto.”

He snatched his sombrero from his head, and placing it on the muzzle of the guard’s rifle, held the piece up in the air so that the hat projected above the edge of the over-turned coach.  Instantly a sharp fusillade broke from the Indian’s position, and one bullet, better aimed than the majority, passed clean through the sombrero, whirling it off the rifle.

“I reckon that shows they ain’t asleep,” remarked Buck grimly; “ef they don’t get our scalps it won’t be from lack o’ tryin’.”

“We’ve got to figure out some way of getting word to town,” exclaimed Bert fiercely.  “There must be some way, if we could only think of it.  I have it!” he shouted.  “Listen!  The new branch they’ve been putting through from the railroad is almost completed, and a foreman I was speaking to a few days ago said they had almost finished stringing the telegraph wires.  They’re probably up by now, and if I could only get to them I’d have help here in no time!”

“By all that’s holy, the lad’s right,” exclaimed Buck, “an’ it ain’t far from here neither, considerin’ jest the distance.”

“But the chances are you’d never reach the railroad, Bert,” said Dick anxiously; “they’d wing you before you got anywhere near it.”

“I’ll have to take a chance on that,” responded Bert.  “Besides, if I don’t go our condition is hopeless, anyhow, so I might as well attempt it.”

The two Westerners nodded their heads at this, and Buck said:  “O’ course, it’s only a ragged chance, but it might go through at that.  The best thing will be for him to make the try the first second after dark.  The redskins won’t start to surround us until then, and by quick work he might get out before they’d finished postin’ a ring around us.”

“But even if you get to the railroad how are you going to telegraph without an instrument?” inquired Tom.

“Leave that to me,” replied Bert; “if I can only get that far I’ll manage to telegraph all right, never fear.”

By this time the sun was low in the west, and a short time afterward it dipped under the rim of the prairie.  For a short time the sky was painted in vivid colors by its reflected rays, and then the sudden prairie twilight descended swiftly.

“Now’s your time, son,” said Buck; “are you all ready?”

“I’ll start the first second you think it best,” replied Bert, and then turning shook hands all around, ending up with Dick and Tom.

“We’d go with you, old friend, if it would do any good,” said Dick, wringing Bert’s hand.  “I guess you know that without my saying it.”

“I know it, all right,” replied Bert; “but don’t you worry about me.  The Indian isn’t born yet that can get my scalp.”