IN NICK’S CAVERN.
Mainwaring glanced back when he heard these sounds, and he saw the last
man of the party, who rode just to the rear of where the leader sat in
his saddle, reel and fall from his horse.
At the same moment he saw Bill Harkness, the bandit chief, spur on into
the narrow pass, bringing up the rear. As he did so he managed, by some
contrivance which Mainwaring did not understand, to detach a huge mass
of rock. This completely blocked up the road, so that pursuit was made
impossible until it was cleared out of the way.
Not being able to stop even had he desired to do so, Mainwaring had to
keep on with the others a little farther, and then he found himself in
the place he had already heard so much about--the far-famed “Nick’s
Cavern,” the principal stronghold of the Death Riders, or of what now
remained of that villainous band.
It was an immense cleft, or yawning mouth, beneath the mountainside,
which seemed to have been hollowed out by a river of fire, so lavalike
were its curious and fantastic walls.
The main cave was large enough for a regiment to have maneuvered
in handsomely, while away off into the mountain ran dark halls and
avenues. How far these went only a few of the outlaws, who had explored
their secret recesses, knew.
Mainwaring had no time to see more than that there was quite a large
party of men there already, and that fires were burning, which not
only served to partially light up the vast place, but gave several men
and a few women the opportunity to do some cooking.
A cheer greeted the arrival of the leader of the band, who seemed to
be popular with most of his men. They greeted him as “Gallant Bill
Harkness,” “Brave Bill,” and by other complimentary terms.
The only answer which he made was a shrill whistle call, which brought
all the men from the interior of the cavern to the spot where he had
seated himself when he dismounted from his horse.
As soon as they were all gathered around him he raised his hand to
command silence and said:
“Men! We have been followed closely by scouts, some Indians--Pawnees, I
think--and a troop of cavalrymen from the fort. I’ve dropped the cliff
rock in their path, but if they’re as spunky and clever as I think they
are they’ll try to get us out of here.
“I’ve left a dozen men at the pass. The next thing to do is to fill the
range above with our best shots and try to clean them out.
“So get up there--about thirty of you--and take care of things there so
that you’ll make our visitors feel too sick to stay. As soon as I and
my crowd have had a bite to eat I’ll go up there and look after things
myself.”
The only reply to this speech was a general cheer, and Mainwaring saw
the men--all armed--scattering away to obey orders.
“Who have you got there, Bill?” asked one man, who seemed as rough as
Harkness himself, approaching the spot where Mainwaring, the two girls,
and Norfolk Ben were standing.
“Prisoners--to be well treated for the present, unless they try to get
away. Then the men are to be shot and--well, we’ll make the girls stay
somehow!”
“Yes,” said the man, with a sardonic laugh. “They’re too pretty to be
let go easily.”
Mainwaring could have choked the leering wretch with a good will, but,
unarmed as he was, and at the mercy of armed ruffians, what could he do?
He made up his mind, however, to remain near the girls all the time,
and if an unkind hand was laid upon them, or any open violence offered,
he would die in their defense.
With every new glance that he directed at May he felt his love for her
grow stronger, until it filled his whole heart and mind, to the utter
exclusion of all thoughts of his own safety.
He had now a chance to say a few words of comfort to her and to her
sister. The ruffian Harkness, however, did not seem to like this. He
looked at them suspiciously, and then calling a stout, red-faced woman
to him he said:
“Here, Lize! You take them two girls to your corner of the cave over
there, and keep them under your own eye. Feed ’em well and treat ’em
well, but don’t let any man talk to ’em or bother ’em. Mind, now, and
do as I say! Hold on! That black man there has been their servant and
cook. He can wait on them and help you.”
“Thank you, Marse White Man. De ole lady’ll jest find me handy.”
“Who do you call old, you black idjit?” cried Lize angrily.
Norfolk Ben quailed before the fury of the termagant.
“Beg pardon, missis! I hadn’t looked at you afore. I ’clar’ to
goodness, you is younger an’ han’somer dan any lady I done see eber
since I left ole Virginny!”
“That’ll do!” said Lize, completely mollified. “There’s dishes to
wash. You ’tend to that, an’ then get something to eat for the young
ladies.”
Ben, only too glad to be near May and Gertrude, went right to work,
while Bill Harkness beckoned Mainwaring over to him.
“Stranger,” said he, “make yourself comfortable here nigh by this fire.
After I’ve attended to them cusses that have followed us I’ll see to
that ransom business.
“It’ll take some time, I suppose, for some one of us will have to go
for the money; but we’ll make you comfortable as long as you keep quiet
and take things easy. We’ll have something to eat and drink soon, an’
then I’ll have to be going.
“If those friends of yours push on for a fight they’ll get it--an’ a
great deal more than they’re looking for, too!”
“They’re fighting now, aren’t they?” asked Mainwaring. “I hear guns
firing.”
“Maybe they’re wasting some powder. They couldn’t do anything with us
here, not if they tried for six months. We’re walled in from the east,
for I had it all fixed to tumble forty tons of rock down right on the
trail. I meant to wait a little longer, so that the rock would fall on
some of them, but the trap worked too easy.
“West from here there’s no opening that isn’t guarded, and only an
eagle could get up the cliffs on that side. So you can make your mind
easy about those friends of yours. You needn’t worry yourself with any
hopes that they are going to save you.”
But Mainwaring could not make his mind easy. He loved Buffalo Bill as
well as a brother, and he had been a good comrade with the rest of the
border king’s party. And he feared now, seeing how strong the place
was, that the knight of the plains and his fellow scouts would lose
their lives in trying to rescue him.
Supper was now set out on a rough slab of stone for Mainwaring and
Harkness, and a very good meal it was, too, considering the situation.
Mainwaring saw that there was a great deal of dried meat and some fresh
game hanging up in the place, and he also noticed that there was forage
for the horses stacked in the upper end of the cave, where they were
tied, to the number of about two hundred.
There was no lack of water. It dripped in springs on every side,
finding its way off in little trickling streams as bright as silver.
The bandit chief noticed how observantly Mainwaring took in the general
features of the place, and he said sarcastically:
“Study things out as much as you like, stranger. You’ll never have a
chance to tell outsiders how we look or live.”
“What do you mean?” said Mainwaring, in surprise. “You are going to
release me if the ransom is paid, aren’t you? That was our bargain.”
“Yes--but we shan’t let you go till the money is paid over. And even
then, before we let you leave, you’ll have to swear by an oath that you
dare not break never to expose what you have seen here. We’ve got snug
quarters here, and we intend to keep them.”
“If I gave you my promise to keep anything secret it would be as good
as any oath,” replied Mainwaring, looking the chief straight in the eye.
“Yes, you look honest,” muttered Harkness. “Too honest for this crowd,
I reckon. But for all that you’ll have to take the oath. I would be
willing to let you go without it, but the men wouldn’t. They wouldn’t
trust you or anybody on his bare word.”
Mainwaring had now finished eating, and he asked if there was any
objection to his smoking.
“None at all. Eat, drink, and smoke when you feel like it. If you are
sleepy, there are blankets for you. But mark me--you must not do any
cruising about! If you go over where the horses are, you’ll get a dose
of lead through your carcass!
“You can go one hundred yards up this avenue here, but no farther than
that. If you go to where a light burns beyond that point you’ll be
dropped dead in your tracks. We’ve got rules for our prisoners, and
they have to be obeyed.”
“I shall not break them,” said Mainwaring. “It would be foolish. I’m
not going to throw away my life while I feel responsible for looking
after those girls. You need not be afraid.”
“I’m not, stranger.”
“It seems to me they’re firing pretty often outside,” remarked the
young man.
“Yes. I must go and see. Your friends are only wasting powder.”
As Bill Harkness left the place Mainwaring saw a man brought into the
cave, evidently badly wounded.
“That doesn’t look like wasting powder,” he muttered to himself, taking
care not to be overheard.