Oft at one side of the shaft a level had been run. The baron was sitting in front of the black opening, and the scout peered over his head into the dark.
“It’s an abandoned mine, all right,” averred the scout.
“I vish dot ve couldt apandon id,” said the baron. “I mighdt schust as vell be in chail as in a blace like dis. Und id vas all so sutten! Vy, Puffalo Pill, I didn’t haf no shance to do any shooding mit my guns, or any fighding mit my fists. Two ropes tropped ofer my headt, my horse vent righht oudt from unter me, und dere I vas, mit Inchuns piled t’ree deep on top. Und den dot shmell!”
“Come, come, baron,” adjured the scout, “brace up! Those Apaches have stowed us away here for safe-keeping, but they have left us the use of our hands and feet, and perhaps we won’t have to stay here, after all. Pull yourself together and we’ll see where that level will take us.”
“Meppy id vill take us oudt oof dis hole!” exclaimed the baron, getting up.
“No such good luck as that. Those reds and that white scoundrel must have known about this place before they dropped us into it. I’m obliged to them for not doing us any injury. No matter what happens to you in this life, baron, there’s always something to be thankful for.”
It was an odd adventure. In all the scout’s experience with Indians, he had never before known them to fall back on a drug when they wished to put an enemy “out of the running.” More than likely it was their white leader who had furnished the drug, however, and had planned to use it.
“Vell,” said the baron, “I t’ink ve can feel t’ankful dot ve’re alife, even oof ve don’d got no guns left, und no vay oof gedding oudt oof dis hole. Meppy, Puffalo Pill, dose fellers vas going to leaf us down here undil ve shtarve to deat’!”
“Starve to death!” scoffed the scout. “We’ll not do that while there’s no more than thirty feet of shaft keeping us from the surface of the ground. There’s a way to get out of here, and we’ll find it. How are you feeling now?”
“Pedder. Der pain ain’d so pad like id vas. I t’ink I vill live long enough to shtarve to deat’, anyvay.”