“Oh, don’t talk that way!” he wailed. “Don’t talk that way! We must escape! We must get away!” He threw himself to and fro in his agonies. One of the outlaws came climbing over the barricade. “See here,” he said, “if you don’t stop that yelpin’, I’ve got orders to gag ye. Now, will you stop?” Pool Clayton stopped, but lay shivering against the logs, white-faced and wild-eyed, overcome by terror. At the other barricade Nick Nomad had been tied in the same way. But Nomad was showing no cowardly spirit. He believed in Buffalo Bill’s ability to accomplish even wonders, and he therefore had hope. CHAPTER XV. THE GALLANT TROOPERS. Buffalo Bill scaled successfully the slope of the mountain above the outlaw camp and got away. He heard the uproar in the camp, and was almost tempted to turn back, fearing for the life of Nick Nomad; but he went on. He did not really see how he could help Nomad without at the same time putting his own life in such jeopardy that the risk could not be justified. Two hours later he reached his horse, which he mounted, and then shaped his course by the stars in the direction of the camp of troopers. Midnight was long past when he reached their camp and reported his discoveries. “I must have half an hour’s sleep,” he said, “and while I am getting it have everything made ready for an immediate advance.” He dropped down by one of the fires, in his clothing, and was sleeping almost at once, as soundly as a child. The lieutenant in command of the troopers awoke him at the end of his brief nap. Then, once more, the redoubtable scout was in the saddle, this time leading the troopers forth toward the discovered camp of the desperadoes of the Sepulcher Mountains. The men under Buffalo Bill gained the base of the mountain over against the outlaw camp shortly before daylight, having ridden hard to accomplish it. There the horses were left, one man out of four dropping back to hold them, while the other three went forward. Buffalo Bill again led the advance, up the slopes of the mountain. His spying of the previous afternoon had convinced him of the folly of trying to take those barricades by assault. He did not doubt the courage and ability of the troopers, than whom braver men never lived, but it would have been criminal, he felt, to ask them to lay down their lives in front of those deadly barricades when the camp might be taken in an easier way. His plan was to climb the mountain, and descend in the darkness just before the dawn upon the outlaw camp, endeavoring by this descent and the suddenness of the attack to surprise and stampede its defenders. In spite of his strenuous efforts to get down the slope while the darkness was densest, the very fact that the darkness was so great kept the scout from doing this. For the descent had to be made with caution; and, consequently, was made with wearying slowness.