Little Cayuse argued long and earnestly with Nomad.
The Indian boy wished to undertake the investigation of the mine alone. He felt sure that he could discover more in his own way, by stealthily entering and exploring the mine, than the three could do with the unavoidable noise which they would make.
At last old Nomad consented to remain behind, with the understanding that if Cayuse got into trouble or needed help he should give the signal known only among the pards and never described aloud. Then Nomad and Skibo would dash to the rescue and bombard the place.
At last the details were settled, and shortly after midnight the Indian youth crept into the upper mouth of the abandoned mine with the tread of a cougar, and the investigation of the retreat of Price and his gang had begun.
CHAPTER XIII.
MATTERS BECOMING COMPLICATED.
At the place where the inclines from the upper and lower levels of the old mine met, was massed along the timbered walls a strange assortment of plunder gathered by Price and his gang during many months. Here it was that Buffalo Bill and the Laramie man, still unconscious, were taken. And there it was that Price’s men found Bloody Ike. The latter was badly injured. He gloated in the capture of the scout and his pard, and promised, with extravagant delight, to be the death of them.
Ike believed his own injuries due to Buffalo Bill, but he could not understand how it had all come about. The bomb he had prepared to destroy the camp of the scout had exploded just after leaving his hand, and he had narrowly escaped death. He had not distinguished the scout’s rifle shot from the explosion which followed, but he felt that in some way Buffalo Bill had once more defeated him.
Bloody Ike declared that the pair should never leave the shaft alive, whether Price so ordered or not. Two men besides Ike were left to guard the prisoners. The others went back to partake of the celebration on the following day, and we have seen that they carried out their plans.