Two men can get through as easy as one."
He sank back, exhausted by the effort.
"No more of that!" cried Red, trying to be stern. "I'm going to stay
with you an' see things through. I'd be a fine sort of a coyote to sneak
off an' leave you for them fiends. An', besides, I can't get away; my
cayuse is hit too hard an' yourn is dead," he lied cheerfully. "An'
yo're going to get well, all right. I've seen fellers hit harder than
you are pull through."
Hopalong walked over to the prostrate man and shook hands with him. "I'm
awful glad I met you, Holden. Yo're pure grit all the way through, an'
I like to tie to that kind of a man. Don't you worry about nothing; Red
can handle this proposition, an' we'll have you in Buckskin by to-morrow
night; you'll be riding again in two weeks. So long."
He turned to Red and shook hands silently, led his horse out of the
building and mounted, glad that the moon had not yet come up, for in the
darkness he had a chance.
"Good luck, Hoppy!" cried Red, running to the door. "Good luck!"
"You bet--an' lots of it, too," groaned Holden, but he was gone. Then
Red wheeled. "Holden, keep yore eyes an' ears open. I'm going out to see
that he gets off. He may run into a--" and he, too, was gone.
Holden watched the doors and windows, striving to resist the weak, giddy
feeling in his head, and ten minutes later he heard a shot and then
several more in quick succession.
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