“That fool, Buffalo Bill, has gone off trustin’ you, and our horses ain’t far away, so we can all pack some provisions on, load up with gold, and be far away afore he comes back. “As you say you are all on foot, ther scouts kin never catch us, and you’ll git gold enough to last you all your days as a rich man.” “I’d ruther be a poor honest man than a rich one what had betrayed the gemman I owes my life to more than one time. “You gemmen is as bad as you kin be, and I’m onter your whole game now, though them in the valley don’t know it. “When dey does, your necks won’t be worth nothin’, I is a-thinkin’, gemmens.” “Good for you, black pard.” The negro sprang to his feet, and was face to face with Buffalo Bill and Ben. The four prisoners scowled and muttered curses. “Well, Black Bill, we have found your valley.” “Done found it, Massa Bill?” “Yes, we went through the break in the cliff where you so nearly lost your life yesterday. “I have sent to our camp after the boys; but it must have been a very hard and dangerous task, from what I have seen of the descent, to get that train down into that sunken valley, a very Devil’s Den I would call it.” “De pass led through and down de side of de cliff, sah. It were mighty dangerous fer wagons, sah, but all right for de people ter walk. “Saturday nights dey all went down in de valley ober Sunday. “One Saturday, Massa Bill, all went but four men--here dey is, right here now. “Dey had been working on de cliff road, blastin’ it out wid powder, for we brought our wagons along, with plenty of powder, sah. “Just at sunset dere came what we all thought was a ’arthquake or volcano, and de whole front of de cliff fell into de valley. Dere was rocks and fire and smoke go way up inter de air, and three people in de valley was kilt dead. “When dey all got deir senses de next day, Sunday, dey came to de conclusion dat de four men, dese very gemmens here, hab let de powder git on fire and blew up de cliff and dem, too. “But I now know dat dese gemmens blowed up dat cliff on purposse, sah, dat dey might git all de gold what was found in de cañon and keep it. But, Massa Bill, dem poor people in de valley was same as in jail, for dey couldn’t git out.” “These four men did prepare that powder mine to blow off the edge of that cliff and keep those people in the valley, which you call lost, and they were a lost people as well.” Standing on the very edge of the precipice, Buffalo Bill began to watch the cliffsides with his glass. “Try and make them see you, Bill,” said the scout. The negro fired his rifle, and gave a loud halloo. Many faces were upturned at once, women and children were seen running here and there, and a wild cheer arose as the negro was recognized. The scene was a startling one, for the people in the valley were wild with joy.