So certain was Mainwaring that he had seen the girls that he was determined to satisfy himself on the point, and he never took thought of the danger into which he might be plunging.  
The track which he and Norfolk Ben took to reach the top of the cliff did not lead them past the bodies of the Ute braves, or the young rancher might have got some idea of the peril into which he was walking so blindly.
 
They rode to a spot where the ridge seemed most accessible on horseback and attempted to ride up, but they found it too steep for the horses and hurried up on foot.
 
They soon reached the crest of the cliff, and not seeing any one there Mainwaring went on a little way and shouted. He thought that if the girls were near they might answer. Indeed, he even imagined that he heard a cry in response coming from some way farther on, and he pushed forward at his best speed.
 
“Marse Mainwaring, I wouldn’t go dar out ob sight o’ de odders,” said the thoughtful Ben. “I ’clar’ to goodness, I wouldn’t! You dunno what dar is in dem rocks. Maybe painters—maybe wolves.”
 
There were wolves, indeed—but they were wolves in human shape, and Mainwaring soon found them, as he hurried on, despite of Ben’s entreaties.
 
“You can go back if you’re afraid,” he said, most unjustly, to the faithful fellow.
 
“I’se mighty ’fraid, Marse Mainwaring,” was the response. “But I’se comin’ with you.”
 
 
Ben followed doggedly, willing to share the danger if he could not get Mr. Mainwaring to shun it.
 
Just where a small chasm opened in the rocks, and Mainwaring stepped in to see if there was any sign of the girls there, he was confronted by half a dozen men, with leveled guns.
 
Ben cried out from behind:
 
“Look out, Marse Mainwaring! Dere’s men wid shootin’ irons!”
 
Sure enough they were caught in a trap.
 
A man of tall stature, with all of his face hidden except his nose and eyes by a tremendous black, bushy beard, cried out:
 
“Stranger, you’re caught in a trap! If you’ve got any prayin’ ter do, do it quick—an’ then shell out! I see you wear a watch—an’ some diamonds. We’ll take them first an’ yer life afterwards!”
 
“It might pay you better to think twice about taking my life,” said Mainwaring, growing suddenly calm, though at first he had been momentarily startled.
 
“I can’t see that!” growled the leader of the gang. “Boys, knock that black man on the head! He’s not doing any good standing there!”
 
“Don’t do dat, Marse White Man! Don’t do it! You’ll spoil dat gun if you do!”
 
Ben’s expostulation—his look and his words—spoken as one of the men raised his rifle to strike him down, created such a roar of laughter from the gang that the man could not strike.
 
“An’ it’s no use killin’ such a good cook an’ servant as I is. ’Fore de wah I’d have brought a heap o’ money—you bet I would!”
 
Another laugh showed that Ben’s appeal had put his captors in something like a better humor, or else the rich spoil they had taken from Mainwaring had done it.
 
For the man who seemed to lead the gang had found a full set of diamond shirt studs on the rich young rancher, a diamond ring, a fine watch, and a wallet full of money.
 
“Rich—this chap sure is rich!” said the outlaw leader gleefully, as he showed the plunder to his mates.
 
“Maybe he’s got more that could be reached, Bill Harkness. Let’s keep him till we find out about that,” suggested one of the men.
 
“Well, I’ll agree to that,” said the leader. “We can make use of this black man, anyway, when we get to the cave. He says he can cook.”
 
“I jest kin do dat, Marse White Man!”
 
“Well, move on! We can’t stay here long, for some of your gang may likely be on our track.”
 
The next moment a cry of surprise broke from the lips of Mainwaring and one of real joy from those of Ben.
 
Two young girls, very pale and fatigued, but, even so, very beautiful, stood near some horses guarded by three or four armed men.
 
“’Clar’ ter goodness, dere’s de cherubims!” shouted faithful Ben, breaking away from all restraint and rushing up to the girls, whose hands he seized and kissed, while he actually wept with joy to see them alive. “Oh, Missie May an’ Missie Gertrude! Jest to think I’m with you once more! Ben’s ready to go now when Gabriel blows his horn—he is dat! Oh, honeys, is it you—all sure alive?”
 
“The darky knows you?” asked the leader of the band.
 
“Yes,” said May. “He is my father’s servant.”
 
“Yes—I is his serbant, an’ yours, too, Missie May. Your old fadder is alive, an’ he jest would give a hunderd t’ousand dollars—an’ he’s got it, too—to see you an’ Missie Gertrude alive!”
 
 
“A hundred thousand dollars! Do you know what you are saying, darky?” cried the leader of the bandits, while the rest of the gang talked eagerly among themselves.
 
“Yes, Marse White Man, I jest do know what I’m sayin’! And de old boss has done got it, all in hard coin.”
 
“Where is he now?”
 
“Away back at de fort. He’s dere sure, an’ so is de money. I know he’d give it all to see dese young ladies back with him.”
 
“Does this man speak the truth?” asked the bandit leader sternly of Mainwaring.
 
“I............