“You can go one hundred yards up this avenue here, but no farther than that. If you go to where a light burns beyond that point you’ll be dropped dead in your tracks. We’ve got rules for our prisoners, and they have to be obeyed.” “I shall not break them,” said Mainwaring. “It would be foolish. I’m not going to throw away my life while I feel responsible for looking after those girls. You need not be afraid.” “I’m not, stranger.” “It seems to me they’re firing pretty often outside,” remarked the young man. “Yes. I must go and see. Your friends are only wasting powder.” As Bill Harkness left the place Mainwaring saw a man brought into the cave, evidently badly wounded. “That doesn’t look like wasting powder,” he muttered to himself, taking care not to be overheard. CHAPTER XXVII. A HARD TASK. It is now time to go outside and see how Buffalo Bill and his crowd get along. When the trail was taken, Buffalo Bill in the lead, Steve Hathaway following, the horses of the whole party were put to their full speed. For Buffalo Bill argued that to save the life of Mainwaring and the honor of those helpless girls, they must not give those white ruffians any time to rest or to think. Steve Hathaway was of this opinion, as far as that went, but he knew the country and the stronghold so well that he told Buffalo Bill if the ruffians got to the cave safe there would be no use in trying to attack them, and no hope to drive them out, except by starvation--and that would be difficult--for they had plenty of provisions. Disguising himself by throwing away his Indian coat and taking a jacket from a soldier, changing hats with Buffalo Bill, Steve now felt no fear of recognition from the band, and, finding no words of his could restrain Cody from charging right on, he rode on with him, showing him short cuts to gain on the others. Thus it was that Buffalo Bill, coming in sight just before the band reached Nick’s Cavern, got a shot with his long-range rifle, which dropped the last ruffian in the crowd dead from his saddle. Steve, who knew the secret of the trap, and the peril if the rocks were sent tumbling down, dashed his horse forward at its maddest speed, and got the horse of Buffalo Bill by the rein just in time to rear him back on his haunches and save the heroic rider from being crushed by the terrible avalanche which fell and blocked the way. Anger flushed the face of the scout for an instant when the horse reared back; but in the next second, when he saw what a terrible death he had been saved from, he turned and said: “Steve, I owe my life to you. I don’t know how I’ll ever pay the debt.” “Say no more about it. We’re no more than even, mate. Them hounds are safe now. They’re shut in, and we’re shut out.” “Is the trail entirely blocked?”