It
seemed that he had but lately joined the Teton-Shoshones outfit
of desperadoes, and between the lines Bannister easily read that
his cousin's masterful compulsion had coerced the young fellow.
All he wanted was an opportunity to withdraw in safety, but he
knew he could never do this so long as the "King" was alive and
at liberty.
Under the star-roof in the chill, breaking day Ned Bannister
talked to him long and gently. It was easy to bring the boy to
tears, but it was harder thing to stiffen a will that was of
putty and to hearten a soul in mortal fear. But he set himself
with all the power in him to combat the influence of his cousin
over this boy; and before the camp stirred to life again he knew
that he had measurably succeeded.
They ate breakfast in the gray dawn under the stars, and after
they had finished their coffee and bacon horses were saddled and
the trail taken up again. It led in and out among the foot-hills
slopping upward gradually toward the first long blue line of the
Shoshones that stretched before them in the distance. Their
nooning was at running stream called Smith's Creek, and by
nightfall the party was well up in the higher foot hills.
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