While all but two of the men above kept them covered those two descended and disarmed the entire party. The sheriff protested, and threatened, and proclaimed his authority, but he was made a prisoner, together with the man who represented the United States Government in its Indian service.
The surrender had barely been affected when the entire mountaintop seemed to shiver for a moment and then settle, together with terrific rumble and roar that threw men to the ground.
From the mouths of the mine blew volumes of rock, timbers, and débris. Then columns of black smoke and gaseous vapors poured out until the sky overhead was darkened.
The mine had been wrecked and rendered impenetrable by some gigantic upheaval.
For a few minutes all were overwhelmed with surprise and awe, then Price, who was the first to recover, said:
“It’s the work of Bloody Ike, and he’s in there, buried under a million tons of rock!”
CHAPTER XV.
BUFFALO BILL’S TRUMP CARD.
After the scout and Hickok had been released by Little Cayuse and had bound the interior guard, they had set about the capture of the men posted at the entrances to the slope. They first crept out to the upper level, and surprised Bloody Ike. He was treated as the first had been, and carried back into the mine to rest on the hay where the scout and Hickok had lain.