“If the gentlemen will kindly step this way they will be treated to a little surprise.”
Buffalo Bill stepped briskly forward and his pards followed. They passed the horses in the cleft and came to what appeared to be an abrupt ending to the crevice; but the girl turned a sharp angle at the very end and entered a break underneath the wall forming quite a respectable room. At one side of this a hole in the rocks led under the mountain itself. The girl crouched and entered and the pards kept near her.
After stooping and crawling for a rod or so, the passageway opened out until they could stand erect in comfort, in a place lighted by a torch.
The party traversed some distance, and then came into the bright sunlight again, except that instead of the sunburned clay and rocks they had left, they saw before them a magical bower of beauty. Here beautiful flowers nodded welcome and green grass stood knee-high. Birds were singing happily, and the whole place seemed the realm of a fairy.
“I knew we’d go ter heaven ef we follered ther angel,” said old Nomad decisively.
“Welcome to the home of the Daughter of the Moon,” said the girl, bowing low in mock gravity.
“We accept your splendid hospitality in fear and trembling, O Queen of the Stars,” returned Buffalo Bill, removing his hat and also bowing extravagantly.
“And now,” said the girl, “I will introduce you to some friends of mine.”
She whistled sharply, and from a cluster of conifers in which the top of a tepee showed, a tall, handsome, soldierly-looking young man came forth, and leaning on his arm was a handsome young woman.
“Buffalo Bill, and your compadres, allow me to introduce to you Lieutenant and Mrs. Avery,” said the girl of mystery.