That story being over, Texas went on to say that it was expected of tenderfeet to be afraid, but of a wild cowboy—never! He had come up there to go into that cave and he was going! He would have gone if he had seen the devil’s own two horns sticking out at him. Accordingly he felt his two revolvers to make sure that they were in position to slide out easily, and then seizing a lantern sprang swiftly up the ledge to the entrance.
It was not like Texas to hesitate. He plunged in head and shoulders at once. There he stopped and held out the light to gaze about him. Then he slid in all the way and the anxious plebes heard him drop lightly to the ground.
A moment later his cheery voice was heard.
“Come on, you fellows!” he called. “There ain’t nothin’ in hyar.”
Mark had already climbed up to the hole and was crawling in. He dropped to the ground inside and the others followed rapidly. Poor Indian was last of all, for Indian put off the agony as long as possible. Strange to say, Indian’s share of that night’s peril was destined to be greatest of all; the lion’s share, so to speak, went to the lamb.
The plebes, having entered, stood huddled together at the end of the cave, staring about them and at Texas. Texas was a truly startling sight; he had set the lantern down on the ground and drawn his huge, glistening revolvers. He had them ready for instant use. He was peering about him with the stealth and quickness of a mountain panther. Truly anything short of a ghost that attacked Texas in this uncanny cavern might have cause to look out for trouble.
The six gazed about them at their den. They saw much to alarm them, much to remind them of what had occurred.
Chairs were overturned, and scattered about the place. Curtains were torn from the walls. In fact, there was every sign of a deadly struggle. Mark pointed in silence to a stain of blood, a deep, red splotch on the carpet. That was Rogers’ blood, thought the frightened lads. Also, upon one of the broken chairs was a mark of blood that seemed to indicate that the chair had been used as a weapon. Altogether the place had about as uncanny a look as one could imagine.
Texas broke the silence at last; his voice startled every one.
“Well,” said he, “what next?”