Certainly there was much less danger in "removing" one person than three.
"As it is, Motoza has placed himself in a bad position, but it would have been tenfold worse had he shot you and me." Hank nodded his head, but qualified his assent: "He could have picked you off, but not _me_, and he knows that he would have had me on his trail without waiting for the officers to help." "But he must face the same thing as it is." "Don't you see that he had to make the ch'ice atween doing nothing at all or tackling the younker?
The Sioux is such an imp and is so crazy for revenge that he made up his mind to chance it the least he could, and he went for the tenderfoot that he hates the most." Jack tremblingly asked the question that had been in his mind for some minutes.
"Do you think he shot Fred ?" The guide slowly turned his head and looked fixedly at the youth before replying: "Wouldn't you've heerd his gun ?" The question sent a thrill of hope through the heart of Jack, but it was quickly succeeded by the dull torture that was there before.

True, he would have heard the report of a rifle if fired anywhere near him during the afternoon, but a treacherous Sioux like Motoza was too cunning to expose himself in that manner, and would have resorted to a different method.
"He could have slain poor Fred in some other way, but do you believe he has done so ?" "Younker," replied the sympathetic guide, "I ain't the one to trifle with your feelings, fur you don't feel much worse than me, but I own up that I don't know anything more 'bout this bus'ness than you.

I mean by that," he hastened to explain, "that I can't figger out in my mind what that varmint has done till I pick up more knowledge than you've been able to give me, and I can't do that afore to-morrow morning." This sounded reasonable, but it was trying beyond imagination, for it indicated that the long night must be spent in idleness, without the raising of a finger to help the one who perhaps was in the most imminent need of such assistance.

There was no help, however, for it, and Jack accepted the decision of his friend without a murmur.
The two sat at the mouth of the cavern, talking in low tones, until the night was well advanced, when Hank said, with a voice that sounded wonderfully low and tender for him: "Now go in and lay down, younker, fur there'll be plenty of work fur you to do to-morrer, and there's no saying when you'll git the chance to sleep agin." "Call me when it is my turn to go on guard." "All right; and don't show yourself till I _do_ call you." Jack walked into the cavern, first pausing to fling some wood on the fire.

Mingled with his feeling of despair was a dread of being alone in the gloom.