“Did you know when you left the Indians that Black-face Ned and his band were in the castle, and that there were two white prisoners there—Colonel Hayden and his daughter Sybil?” Alkali Allen blinked his eyes. “Never knowed anything erbout outlaws or prisoners. Ye shore hev got a story ter tell. Out with it.” Buffalo Bill complied. He spoke hurriedly, and his tale caused the lanky plainsman to exhibit the most intense astonishment. “Well, I’ll be eternally obfusticated an’ fried inter goose grease ef this don’t beat ther Dutch, an’ ther Dutch beat ther devil,” he ejaculated. “Wild Bill hyer a cahoodlin’ with ther Comanches, an’ you, Buffler, outer as purty a case as you ever tackled. I’ll take a hand myself. I’m mortal glad I kem ter Arizony. Aire ye ready ter mosey? Ef ye aire, take ther lead, an’ I’ll come a-trottin’ arter ye.” Buffalo Bill considered the situation thoughtfully. After a few moments, he said: “I must go on alone. I will give you a job that ought to be to your liking. I lost one Indian this morning. I don’t wish to lose a second one. I want you to take Greathead here to the cliffs and deliver him over to Wild Bill. Having done that, go out and keep an eye on the trail leading to the cliff. Maybe the Indians are already marching against the Yelpers. I’ll scout about the castle, find out who is there, ascertain if Greathead told the truth when he asserted that Black-face Ned had left, and then I’ll hurry back to take part in the fight between the Apaches and the Comanches.” Alkali Pete nodded, and when he had gone from sight, with the Indian in tow, the king of scouts continued his journey toward the haunt of the enemy. The route he took would bring him to the farther end of the valley that held the stone fortification. He was not obliged to use the cañon in which he had camped, and he hoped by moving in a direction opposite to that the Apaches would have to take to reach the cliff dwellings that he might meet with no obstructions. Among the rocks on a ridge that overlooked the little valley he halted, and for some minutes listened for sounds and looked for signs of life in or about the stone structure. CHAPTER XII. ENVIRONED BY PERILS. Buffalo Bill could see a portion of the building from his coign of vantage, but this portion was the rear. The door, that opened into a walled inclosure of several acres, was open, and this circumstance led the scout to believe that the castle was vacant. After the lapse of fifteen minutes, Buffalo Bill began a cautious descent of the ridge. He reached safely the wall surrounding the castle, and there paused and again listened for sounds. Hearing nothing, he stole round to the front. The wall gate here was not locked, and he walked into the inclosure, and did not stop until he came to the heavy door, which, like the door at the rear, was open.