With this decision uppermost in his mind, he put into practise the idea that had been suggested to him as he sat on the tree branch. Returning to the temporary hiding-place of the money, he carried the chest to the edge of the swamp, endeavoring to leave as little trail as possible as he went. He had brought his lariat with him, and when he reached one of the most treacherous-looking pools of mud, he fastened the lariat about the box and lowered it into the depths. The quagmire sucked the box out of sight almost instantly. Then Cody tied the end of the lariat to a tree-root under the surface of the muck, and so effectually disposed of the treasure where nobody but himself--or some person whom he guided--could find it. He returned to the scene of the hold-up and prepared to get away with the driverless stage instantly. He placed the dead man inside the stage, tied Chief to one of the leaders, and, mounting to the box, drove hurriedly along the trail. Being alone, he could not drive the horses and guard the treasure, too; so he had hidden it, intending to bring back a file of troopers from the fort later and pick it up. He had not driven two miles along the trail when, loud and threatening, rose a voice from the rocks beside the road, which uttered these significant words: “Live or die--yours the choice! Up with your hands there!” CHAPTER XVI. THE BANDITS OF THE OVERLAND TRAIL. It was Buffalo Bill’s choice to live just then, so he drew rein. He knew from whom the command came, too, just as well as he knew that resistance would be useless. “Up with your hands, or die! Come, take your choice, Buffalo Bill!” The threatening words were repeated, as Buffalo Bill had simply reined the horses to a halt and still grasped the lines. He saw at a glance that bandits had sprung to the heads of his leaders, while he was covered by the revolver in the hand of Boyd Bennett himself. With no change of expression the scout said: “As you seem to hold trumps in this game, Bennett, up go my hands.” He gave the reins a turn around the lantern, and Buffalo Bill coolly raised his hands above his head to the apparent relief of the outlaws at the horses’ heads, for they seemed to have feared that, after all, he might resist. They knew that, if he had chosen to die fighting, some of them would have bitten the dust first. “You have acted wisely, Buffalo Bill, and I am glad to see that even you can be cowed when you’re in a tight place,” laughed Boyd Bennett. “We won’t discuss that part of the proposition,” said Cody coolly. “I’m anxious to get on, so don’t detain me with philosophical remarks.” “Ah--indeed! In a hurry, are you?” “I am, Bennett; in a mighty hurry.” “Well, wait a bit. Go slowly. You’ve got something on that stage I want--though I didn’t expect to see you driving it.” “No?” “But you make as good a driver as any--and you give up just as easy,” and Boyd Bennett laughed again. “Well, what is it you want?” “The gold-box you carry.”