Believing a meeting inevitable, the youth placed his hand on his revolver, the preferable weapon in the event of coming to close quarters.
But at the last moment Motoza turned to the left and passed among the rocks within a couple of paces of the youth, who held his breath until he was gone.
For some reasons Jack Dudley would have welcomed a meeting with this miscreant, for he held him in no fear.

For one moment he meditated "holding him up," with the threat of death unless he produced Fred Greenwood; but fortunately the youth had time in which to see the wild absurdity of the thing, which could have done no possible good and probably would have brought great harm.

So it was that Motoza passed out of sight and the youth was once more left alone.
But Jack's thoughts had taken a new turn.

Hazletine had expressed the belief that in the interval between the first and second meeting with Tozer either he or Motoza would hold communication with their prisoner; consequently, if the Sioux could be kept under surveillance without exciting his suspicion, he was likely to give some involuntary and useful information.
"I wonder where Hank is; can it be that he, too, is watching in the neighborhood and has seen Motoza come out as I saw him?
If so, the next fellow to pass in review before me will be my esteemed friend." When, however, a half-hour had gone by without anything being seen of the cowman, Jack was warranted in believing that he was the only one who was aware of the coming and going of the red man.
Following out Hazletine's theory, it would seem that the prison of Fred Greenwood, instead of being among the mountains, was within the gorge.
This was a startling conclusion, but the more Jack reflected upon it the more strongly did he believe it.
"At any rate, I mean to find out whether it is so." But on the verge of setting out he hesitated.

There was more than one reason why he should do so.