"Jack!" cried the great scout. A slash of Rasco's hunting knife and he was free. "Good for you!" and then Pawnee Brown had his hands full for several minutes beating out the flames which had ignited his boot soles and the bottoms of his trousers.
"We plugged the three of 'em," said Gilbert. "I knocked thet one," and he pointed to the Indian who was breathing his last.
"I hit the Indian with the yellow plume," put in Dick, and he could not help but shudder.
"That was Yellow Elk," said Rasco. "But whar is he now?"
All the white men turned quickly, looking up and down the cave. It was useless. Yellow Elk had disappeared.
"He must not escape!" cried Pawnee Brown. "I have an account to settle with him for starting that fire."
"But whar is Nellie?" asked Rasco, impatiently, looking around with a falling face.
"She ran away when the other Indians came to Yellow Elk's assistance," answered Pawnee Brown, and in a few hurried words he told his story.
"Then she can't be far off."
"Let us hunt for her at once," cried Dick, and his enthusiasm made the men laugh, at which the boy blushed furiously.