Having finished his work, Clancy whirled and raced after Lawless and the rest, who had already started for the shaft.
Turning on his side, with his face against the rocks, Wild Bill waited for the deafening detonation which was to throw a barrier of rock across the mouth of the crosscut and wall him up in a living tomb.
CHAPTER IV.
THE INDIAN GIRL.
“Whatever d’ye think Wild Bill wants us fur, Buffler?”
“I haven’t any idea, Nick, but he’ll think we’re a long time getting to Sun Dance.”
“That paper-tork o’ his had a hard time reachin’ us, an’ we’ve had er hard time gittin’ through ter Sun Dance—leastways, you an’ Dell hev had. But we kain’t be so pizen fur from ther camp now.”
“This short cut we’re taking through the hills will bring us into the cañon above the camp. Dell and Cayuse will come in below. We ought to get to the place we’re going a good two hours ahead of them.”
The king of scouts, and his old trapper pard, Nick Nomad, were riding through the rough country on their way to Sun Dance.
It was early morning, and the trapper and his pards had been in the saddle all night.
A number of things had conspired to delay them in taking the trail in answer to Wild Bill’s “paper-talk.” Among other things, Crawling Bear had been slain by hostile Cheyennes, and Hickok’s note had come into the scout’s hands by another messenger.