CHAPTER XXI. THE CAVE IN THE MOUNTAIN.

Now, despite the excitement of the moment, Cody noticed one fact that delighted him. The two entangled Indians did not cry out. After the first involuntary grunt, neither uttered a yell of rage or despair, and this proved a point in the scout’s favor. There were no other redskins near at hand!

Had there been, a war-whoop from the struggling scamps would have been quite in order. But as they were evidently scouting with their main party at some distance, they were mighty careful about raising a racket and so bringing the soldiers up the hill to the aid of their unknown enemy. As for the latter, Buffalo Bill, he was not in the habit of singing out for help--not even when the odds were greater against him than upon this occasion.

Having yanked the fellows back upon the ground twice, and pulling the lariat so taut that one Indian’s throat was almost cut, he taught the prisoners that he was master. He then, as shown, entangled their feet and legs, and so held them triced like a bale of hay.

Being sure of handling them now, he came close, lashed the end of his lariat, and removed their knives and tomahawks. They had dropped their guns at the moment of the attack, and these the scout gathered up, too.

Having made sure of the prisoners single-handed, the Border King walked composedly down toward the camp. The sentinel near the horses saw him coming and challenged:

“Who goes there?”

“It’s me, old man.”

“Ah! I thought ’twas you, Cody. Where’d you go to back there a spell? All of a sudden I lost you.”

“Why, I walked out to capture a couple of reds that were hanging about.”

“Ha! ha! ha!” laughed the man. “That’s a good one. I ain’t heard a thing to-night, have you?”

“My horse did.”

“What?”

“Chief heard, or smelled, reds. And I’ve got ’em tied up out yonder,” said Buffalo Bill coolly. “Call your corporal and have ’em brought in.”

“What’s that, Bill?” gasped the trooper.

“Call the corporal.”

“You don’t mean to say you’ve captured an Indian since you left me?”

“Two.”

“No!”

“I tell you I have,” said Cody, with some exasperation. “Here are their arms. Get a move on you!” The surprised and half-doubting trooper made so much noise arousing his immediate officer that the lieutenant was awakened, too. He came down with the corporal and two men and went out with Cody to bring in the reds. It was a fact that none of the soldiers really believed Cody had captured two redskins until they saw the captives writhing on the ground.

“And I wouldn’t have had ’em much longer if you fellows had stopped to chin any more. They’re most free,” said Cody.

“Bill, you’re a wonder,” declared Dick Danforth.

“Thanks. Bring ’em in. Let’s see who the scamps are.”

This was done, the fire was renewed, and those of the troopers who had been aroused gathered around in a respectful circle to hear their lieutenant and the scout put the two bucks through their catechism.

That they belonged to Oak Heart’s tribe was easy to learn; but beyond that the two young redskins were very non-committal. They had come scouting about the soldier camp for Death Killer, the new medicine chief of the Sioux; little else could the whites learn.

“Who the deuce is this Death Killer, Bill?” demanded Lieutenant Danforth.

“I’ve heard some whispers of him; but who he is I haven’t learned,” said Cody.

“Was he with the bunch that Oak Heart brought up against Fort Advance?”

“No.”

“That’s odd, isn’t it?”

“These medicine chiefs are mighty scarey of their safety. They never take many risks, you bet!”

“So Death Killer stayed at home and let his children fight the battle alone, eh?” remarked the lieutenant.

“Why, as to that, I believe the Sioux didn’t have this wonderful new chief at that time.”

“Is that so?”

“I met an Arapahoe, a friend of mine, who told me something about the medicine chief that Oak Heart had got. The Sioux believe that the next time they buck up against the whites, the medicine of this Death Killer will bring them the victory.”

This was said aside so that the two young Indians could not understand.

“What’ll we do with these fellows, Bill?” asked the young officer.

“Thunder! We don’t want any prisoners.”

“You mean to shoot them?”

“What’s the use? It will only mean bringing the whole tribe about our ears like a swarm of bees. While we’re hunting Bennett we don’t want the Sioux onto us, too.”

“You wouldn’t advise turning them loose?”

“Well, do you know a better way of getting rid of them?”

Danforth shook his head slowly.

“They certainly would be white elephants on our hands if we tried to hold them,” he admitted.

“Kick ’em out,” advised the scout.

“They’ll go back and report.”

“What can they report? That they found a bunch of troopers here camping on the trail of the white outlaws.”

“But suppose Bennett is hand and glove with the reds as you think?”

“Then we must run that risk. Here! let me talk with these young bucks alone,” suggested Cody.

The examination of the reds had been accomplished in English and by aid of the sign language. Now the scout spoke to them in their own tongue. He did not expect to win their confidence; but since they had discovered that no other than Pa-e-has-ka had so easily overcome them, they felt better in their minds.

Finally Cody unfastened them, filled their pouches with food, gave them back their weapons, and advised them to go back to their lodges.

“Let this medicine chief, Death Killer, come himself to learn our numbers and our intentions,” said the scout significantly. “Let him learn about us by his magic. If he is so great a medicine-man why does he not know these things by his magic power? Go, brothers; you have your lives at the hand of the Long Hair.”

The two young reds departed with unmoved countenances. If they felt gratitude they would not be likely to show it in the expression of their faces. That would be against Indian nature.

The camp being pretty thoroughly aroused now, and daybreak being near, the lieutenant ordered breakfast prepared. Buffalo Bill did not object to a fire being made now. Not only had their encampment been discovered by the reds; but the morning was so misty that the smoke would not rise high, anyway.

They went on after the meal, finding the trail of the outlaws difficult of following in some places, for it was apparent that an attempt had been made to cloud the trace. By mid-forenoon, however, they were deep in the hills, in a wild and gloomy country, and where every mile was perilous. They might be ambushed by the foe in almost any cut, and Cody kept the command back while he investigated every particularly ugly-looking defile. What report the two released Indians might make to their people had much to do with the safety of the expedition, too. For all the whites knew, the Sioux might be gathering to fall upon them!

Not a soul did they see on the trail; but they found the place where Boyd Bennett and his men had spent the night; and they noted marks which assured them that the outlaws had lit out that morning hurriedly. Evidently the approach of the troopers was feared by the renegades.

Before night, however, Cody called a halt in the forward movement. They were in the midst of peaks, and tall, chimneylike rocks where the timber was sparse and vegetation of any other kind becoming thin. Shelter was not easily obtained, and the trail had to be guessed at many times, the way was so rocky.

“I don’t like the look of this territory, Dick,” said the scout.

“Those fellows can’t be far ahead of us,” declared the eager lieutenant.

“I’m not so sure of that. They plainly know the way.”

“Well, they haven’t succeeded in fooling us much yet.”

“That may be; but they may fool us badly in the end.”

“Don’t croak, Bill; that isn’t like you.”

“I tell you, boy, we’re perhaps putting our necks into a noose. I’ve seen several smokes this afternoon. Now, if the Injuns join in with Boyd Bennett, and make common cause with him--well, where’ll we be?”

“Here, or hereabout,” grunted Danforth.

“And we’ll stay here, too! I vote we make an end of this quick.”

“Why, Bill, I thought you were so eager to follow Bennett up?”

“So I am. But I’m not as eager for meeting my finish as you seem to be.”

“Pshaw! you’re not afraid for yourself, Bill. I know you,” cried Danforth.

“I’ve got no right to run you into peril.”

“Forget me!”

“And you’ve no right to lead your troop into a pocket. What do you suppose your ‘kern’ will say?”

“Oh, shucks! I hate to give this up.”

“So do I, son. But we’ve got to.”

“You mean to start right back now?”

“You’re the doctor. I’m not in command,” said Cody.

“Hang it all, Bill! you are virtually in command, and you know it.”

“Well, you want me to advise?”

“Of course.”

“Then I say we’d better hunt a place to stop the night, and then light out for a more healthy country in the morning. I begin to feel that we’re being watched.”

“You _feel_ so?”

“Sounds silly, doesn’t it, eh? But it’s so. And intuition has stood me in good stead before. There are foes near. We want to get shelter and prepare to receive them properly.”

Thus advised, Dick Danforth ordered his men to dismount, and they led their horses up into the rocky gorge Cody had chosen as a retreat. It would have been well for Danforth if he always so easily listened to the admonition of his elders and the better informed.

Just inside the gorge was a yawning cavern in the mountainside. Evidently Cody knew of this retreat, even had he never been over the ground before. He led his big white horse with satisfaction into the dusky interior.

“Hold on, Bill! The critters can’t feed in there,” Danforth objected, bringing his own animal to a stop.

“All right. We’ll have to cut brush for ’em to pick over. There’s no safe feeding ground outside.”

“But, hang it! how do we know who or what may be in that hole?”

“Chief says there are no Injuns here, that’s sure!” retorted the scout, laughing.

“But it may be a grizzly’s lair, or a cougar’s.”

“Nope. Old Chief would have made remarks about it. Come on, lieutenant.”

“Oh, I’m not afraid, if that’s what you mean!” grunted Dick Danforth, and with a nod to his file-leader, he followed the scout into the maw of the darksome cave.