But it was wiped out now.
Yet the fight was not all over. The men who were above, hearing the shots below, rushed down in a body, thinking to take the soldiers from the rear, while they supposed Bill Harkness and the others held them in front.
But they reckoned beyond their knowledge.
They were received as brave Captain Meinhold wanted to receive them, and hand to hand, with saber and revolver, while the Pawnee “friendlies,” Buffalo Bill, and Wild Bill, with battle shout and whoop and yell, went through them as fire goes through dry grass.
The robbers, asking no quarter, fought, but they fought without heart and were completely wiped out.
When the light of another day dawned men were busy clearing out the narrow road that led from the cavern.
Mainwaring was now happy. He could talk to his rescued love, May, all that he wanted to.
Ben, too, was in what he termed “de sebenth hebben.” His young mistresses were free; he had heard that his old master was alive and getting well, and he was out of the hands of the bad men.
There was not a great deal of plunder in the place, except in arms and horses, and these were indeed quite a capture.