Before, the renegade had been alone in his
wish for the destruction of the boy; that is, alone of all the
group about him, and of all the outlaws gathering in the mountains.
Now, with the news of the reward published abroad by the messenger
and the renegade, every native man, woman and child in Mexico
would take a personal interest in delivering the prisoner to
officials competent to hand over the large reward.
Jimmie listened intently and with a fastbeating heart for the
strident voice of a drum. It seemed to him that Peter Fenton
had been gone long enough to gain the camp. The secret service
men, he knew, had not had time to reach the point of danger, but
they had, he thought, had time enough to make a noise like an
advancing army. There were bright-plumaged birds singing in
the early sunshine, but no indications of the approach of the
help Fenton had gone to arouse. What the next move of the
renegade and his companions would be the boy could not even
guess. He hoped, however, that the party would linger about
the vicinity until the secret service men could come up.
This hope, however, was soon shattered. The renegade Englishman
consulted with the messenger for some moments, pointing away to
the north, as he did so, and then the outlaws were ordered into
line, Fremont placed in the center, and all moved in the direction
which had been pointed out.
The course of travel, although due north in general, wound among
crags and through little canons, over level plateaux and along
dangerous precipices, it being the possible desire of the renegade
to work his way to the Rio Grande without coming into contact with
officers or hostile groups of armed men who might demand a division
of the fat reward offered for the arrest of the boy.
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