At the end he burst forth: "Yo' say dar was two ob dem white men murdered--one an ol' man wid a gray beard, an' de odder 'bout thirty?
Am dat it, Massa Jack, an' dey had fo' span ob mules, an' a runnin' hoss ?" "Yes." "An' how far out was it ?" "About sixty miles." "Oh, de good Lawd!" and the negro threw up his hands dramatically.

"Dat sutt'nly am my outfit! Dat am Massa Waite an' John Sibley." "You mean the same men with whom you came here from Independence ?" Neb nodded, overcome by the discovery.
"But what caused them to run such a risk ?" Keith insisted.

"Didn't they know the Indians were on the war path ?" "Sho'; I heard 'em talkin' 'bout dat, but Massa Waite was jest boun' foh to git movin'.

He didn't 'pear to be 'fraid ob no Injuns; reck'ned dey'd nebber stop him, dat he knowed ebbery chief on de plains.

I reck'n dat he did, too." "But what was he so anxious to get away for ?" "I dunno, Massa, I done heerd 'em talk some 'bout dey plans, an' 'bout some gal dey wanted ter fin', but I didn't git no right sense to it.