It is now time to go outside and see how Buffalo Bill and his crowd get along.  
When the trail was taken, Buffalo Bill in the lead, Steve Hathaway following, the horses of the whole party were put to their full speed. For Buffalo Bill argued that to save the life of Mainwaring and the honor of those helpless girls, they must not give those white ruffians any time to rest or to think.
 
Steve Hathaway was of this opinion, as far as that went, but he knew the country and the stronghold so well that he told Buffalo Bill if the ruffians got to the cave safe there would be no use in trying to attack them, and no hope to drive them out, except by starvation—and that would be difficult—for they had plenty of provisions.
 
Disguising himself by throwing away his Indian coat and taking a jacket from a soldier, changing hats with Buffalo Bill, Steve now felt no fear of recognition from the band, and, finding no words of his could restrain Cody from charging right on, he rode on with him, showing him short cuts to gain on the others.
 
Thus it was that Buffalo Bill, coming in sight just before the band reached Nick’s Cavern, got a shot with his long-range rifle, which dropped the last ruffian in the crowd dead from his saddle.
 
Steve, who knew the secret of the trap, and the peril if the rocks were sent tumbling down, dashed his horse forward at its maddest speed, and got the horse of Buffalo Bill by the rein just in time to rear him back[192] on his haunches and save the heroic rider from being crushed by the terrible avalanche which fell and blocked the way.
 
Anger flushed the face of the scout for an instant when the horse reared back; but in the next second, when he saw what a terrible death he had been saved from, he turned and said:
 
“Steve, I owe my life to you. I don’t know how I’ll ever pay the debt.”
 
“Say no more about it. We’re no more than even, mate. Them hounds are safe now. They’re shut in, and we’re shut out.”
 
“Is the trail entirely blocked?”
 
“Yes; entirely. They are all in Nick’s Cavern, where there is enough feed for man and beast kept all the time to last for months. It is shut in every way now.”
 
“Good! Then they can’t get out?”
 
“No, but you can’t get in.”
 
“We’ll see! They went in, and so will I.”
 
“But they’ll get to the top of the cliff over us, and make it too hot for us here.”
 
“Will they? Then we’ll make it too hot for them there. If they can shoot at us, we can return the fire. If I see a gun flash, lead will go very near where I see that flash.”
 
“If you hurt any of them, they’ll murder the prisoners.”
 
“How are we to know they have not done that already? I tell you what it is, Steve—I’ve done fooling! I have not come this far to go back with my hands down, leaving them here to crow. They’ve got to be wiped out.”
 
“It will be a hard job!”
 
“Then I’m just in for it. Here comes Captain Meinhold. What shall I tell him?”
 
 
“That you’ve holed your game, but diggin’ for it in a rock will be hard work.”
 
“Well—why don’t we go on?” asked the captain, who had not been able to hold the wild pace that Buffalo Bill had kept for a few miles back.
 
“Rocks caved in our way, and t............