"We'll toss for it; heads, I go," Red suggested, flipping a coin.
"Tails!" cried Hopalong. "It's only thirty miles to Buckskin, an' if I
can get away from here I'm good to make it by eleven to-night. I'll stop
at Cowan's an' have him send word to Lucas an' Bartlett, so there'll be
enough in case any of our boys are out on the range in some line house.
We can pick 'em up on the way back, so there won't be no time lost. If
I get through you can expect excitement on the outside of this sieve
by daylight. You an' Holden can hold her till then, because they never
attack at night. It's the only way out of this for us--we ain't got
cartridges or water enough to last another day."
Red, knowing that Hopalong was taking a desperate chance in working
through the cordon of Indians which surrounded them, and that the house
was safe when compared to running such a gantlet, offered to go through
the danger line with him. For several minutes a wordy war raged and
finally Red accepted a compromise; he was to help, but not to work
through the line.
"But what's the use of all this argument?" feebly demanded Holden. "Why
don't you both go? I ain't a-going to live nohow, so there ain't no use
of anybody staying here with me, to die with me. Put a bullet through me
so them devils can't play with me like they do with others, an' then get
away while you've got a chance.
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