Her next words were addressed to Alkali Pete, and they were spoken with such warm earnestness that the homely plainsman blushed. “I am so glad you are here and well. You don’t know how badly I felt when I found you had fallen into a trap.”
Colonel Hayden, while this talk was going on, was shaking hands with Buffalo Bill. He was in a joyous mood, and the compliments he paid to the valiant king of scouts caused the recipient of them to vigorously shake his head. Sybil relieved his confusion.
“You must be anxious to learn how I came here,” she said. “Didn’t you guess what occurred in the room? Thunder Cloud got the use of his hands, and was reaching forward to snatch my pistol when I saw him and fired. My eyes were on the trapdoor while he was working himself free, for I thought I heard a noise below.”
“After I had killed the chief I wanted to get away. I was faint, and the sight of the blood was more than I could stand. I rushed out of doors and looked around for you, Mr. Cody. Not finding you, I determined to hurry to the end of the valley and find out whether or not the Apache chief had lied. I got to the cottonwood, saw, to my delight, that no human body was hanging from it, and was about to retrace my steps to the castle when my father appeared. Black Wing had freed him, and he was on his way to attempt my rescue.”
Colonel Hayden now made other points clear.
“Black Wing is all right,” he averred. “He promised Thunder Cloud that he would hang me to the cottonwood, but he never meant to keep that promise. He is an intelligent Indian, and a true friend of the whites. He knows that you, Mr. Cody, and Wild Bill are friends, and that I am your comrade. Besides, he had had an understanding with Mr. Hickok, and the two were acting in accordance with that understanding.”
Buffalo Bill whistled softly. “And Thunder Cloud was fooled, was he? Thought Black Wing was really working for peace, eh?”
“Yes. He pulled the wool over Thunder Cloud’s eyes, and now Thunder Cloud’s Apaches are on their way either to a reservation of Uncle Sam or to bloody death.”
“Wild Bill and Black Wing have fixed up a trap, then?”
“I think you would call it one. The Apaches will come out of the holes in the cliff, and, instead of marching out into the open to arrange a treaty of peace, they will be invited to a duel. Wild Bill wouldn’t stand for an ambush, so that the fight will be a fair one.”