Mainwaring glanced back when he heard these sounds, and he saw the last man of the party, who   
rode just to the rear of where the leader sat in his saddle, reel and fall from his horse.
 
At the same moment he saw Bill Harkness, the bandit chief, spur on into the narrow pass, bringing 
 
up the rear. As he did so he managed, by some contrivance which Mainwaring did not understand, to 
 
detach a huge mass of rock. This completely blocked up the road, so that pursuit was made 
 
impossible until it was cleared out of the way.
 
Not being able to stop even had he desired to do so, Mainwaring had to keep on with the others a 
 
little farther, and then he found himself in the place he had already heard so much about—the 
 
far-famed “Nick’s Cavern,” the principal stronghold of the Death Riders, or of what now 
 
remained of that villainous band.
 
It was an immense cleft, or yawning mouth, beneath the mountainside, which seemed to have been 
 
hollowed out by a river of fire, so lavalike were its curious and fantastic walls.
 
The main cave was large enough for a regiment to have maneuvered in handsomely, while away off 
 
into the mountain ran dark halls and avenues. How far these went only a few of the outlaws, who 
 
had explored their secret recesses, knew.
 
Mainwaring had no time to see more than that there was quite a large party of men there already, 
 
and that fires were burning, which not only served to partially light up the vast place, but gave 
 
several men and a few women the opportunity to do some cooking.
 
A cheer greeted the arrival of the leader of the band, who seemed to be popular with most of his 
 
men. They greeted him as “Gallant Bill Harkness,” “Brave Bill,” and by other complimentary 
 
terms.
 
The only answer which he made was a shrill whistle call, which brought all the men from the 
 
interior of the cavern to the spot where he had seated himself when he dismounted from his horse.
 
As soon as they were all gathered around him he raised his hand to command silence and said:
 
“Men! We have been followed closely by scouts, some Indians—Pawnees, I think—and a troop of 
 
cavalrymen from the fort. I’ve dropped the cliff rock in their path, but if they’re as spunky 
 
and clever as I think they are they’ll try to get us out of here.
 
“I’ve left a dozen men at the pass. The next thing to do is to fill the range above with our 
 
best shots and try to clean them out.
 
“So get up there—about thirty of you—and take care of things there so that you’ll make our 
 
visitors feel too sick to stay. As soon as I and my crowd have had a bite to eat I’ll go up 
 
there and look after things myself.”
 
The only reply to this speech was a general cheer, and Mainwaring saw the men—all armed—
 
scattering away to obey orders.
 
“Who have you got there, Bill?” asked one man, who seemed as rough as Harkness himself, 
 
approaching the spot where Mainwaring, the two girls, and Norfolk Ben were standing.
 
“Prisoners—to be well treated for the present, unless they try to get away. Then the men are to 
 
be shot and—well, we’ll make the girls stay somehow!”
 
 
“Yes,” said the man, with a sardonic laugh. “They’re too pretty to be let go easily.”
 
Mainwaring could have choked the leering wretch with a good will, but, unarmed as he was, and at 
 
the mercy of armed ruffians, what could he do?
 
He made up his mind, however, to remain near the girls all the time, and if an unkind hand was 
 
laid upon them, or any open violence offered, he would die in their defense.
 
With every new glance that he directed at May he felt his love for her grow stronger, until it 
 
filled his whole heart and mind, to the utter exclusion of all thoughts of his own safety.
 
He had now a chance to say a few words of comfort to her and to her sister. The ruffian Harkness, 
 
however, did not seem to like this. He looked at them suspiciously, and then calling a stout, 
 
red-faced woman to him he said:
 
“Here, Lize! You take them two girls to your corner of the cave over there, and keep them under 
 
your own eye. Feed ’em well and treat ’em well, but don’t let any man talk to ’em or bother 
 
’em. Mind, now, and do as I say! Hold on! That black man there has been their servant and cook. 
 
He can wait on them and help you.”
 
“Thank you, Marse White Man. De ole lady’ll jest find me handy.”
 
“Who do you call old, you black idjit?” cried Lize angrily.
 
Norfolk Ben quailed before the fury of the termagant.
 
“Beg pardon, missis! I hadn’t looked at you afore. I ’clar’ to goodness, you is younger an’ 
 
han’somer dan any lady I done see eber since I left ole Virginny!”
 
“That’ll do!” said Lize, completely mollified.[188] “There’s dish............