CHAPTER XVIII.
BENSON PUTS SOME MEN IN A HOLE.
The man whom old Benson had attacked was taken completely by surprise,and he went to the ground easily. But, once down, he struggled fiercelyto release himself, and at the same time did his best to cry out forassistance.
"Silence!" commanded the scout in a whisper. "If you yell, it will gohard with you."
The desperado now saw who had attacked him, and his face changed color.But he continued to struggle, and was on the point of breaking away whenthe old scout hit him a heavy blow on the ear, which bowled him over andrendered him partly unconscious.
"Hi! did you call?" came from the other man who had been smoking.
Old Benson looked at the man before him, and saw that the fellow wouldbe unable to do anything for several minutes to come.
"Yes," he answered, in a rough voice. "Here's something funny to lookat. Come quick."
At once the second man leaped up, and without stopping to pick up hisrifle came to the spring. Old Benson quickly stepped behind a bush, outof sight.
"Hullo, Riley, what's the trouble?" cried the second man when he beheldhis prostrate companion.
He bent over Riley, and while he was making an examination old Bensoncame behind him and threw him as he had thrown the first desperado.
But the second man was "game," and the struggle lasted for severalminutes. At one time it looked as if the old scout would get the worstof the encounter, but in the end he triumphed and the rascal wasdisarmed.
All the time the struggle was going on Benson had been afraid the thirdman would rouse up, especially as the second called several times forhelp. But the rascal had now fallen into a heavy sleep, and heardnothing.
What to do with the two desperadoes before him the old scout did notknow, until he suddenly thought of a big cave-like hole he haddiscovered that very morning, while hunting for buffalo tracks. The holewas fifteen to twenty feet in diameter and twice as deep, and once atthe bottom he felt certain the desperadoes would have considerabletrouble in getting to the top.
"Come with me," he said to the second fellow. "And no monkey shines, ifyou know when you are well off."
"Wot yer goin' to do wid me?" growled the desperado.
"You'll see. Your blood is so hot it needs cooling off," answered theold scout.
He forced the man along, and soon the big hole was reached. Much againsthis will, the rascal was forced to drop to the bottom.
"Now, if you try to climb up I'll shoot you," said Benson, and ran backswiftly to where the second rascal was just getting out of hisunconscious state.
Before the other desperado could realize what was coming he, too, wasdown in the big hole. Old Benson made certain that each of the men wasrelieved of all his weapons.
"Now, I'm going to keep watch on you," he said, as a warning. "Becareful of what you try to do."
"Don't leave us here!" pleaded Riley. "A buffalo or a bear might fall inon us."
"You've got to take your chances on that," answered Benson.
The next movement of the old scout was to go back to where the third manwas sleeping. It was an easy matter to secure all the weapons belongingto this fellow. Then Benson procured a rope from their outfit, and boundhis feet together and then his hands. During the latter operation therascal awoke.
"Wot yer doin'?" he demanded sleepily, and then, seeing the old scout,stared in open-mouthed astonishment. "Let go o' me! Wot did yer tie meup fer?"
"You keep quiet," said Benson, with a broad smile over the trick he hadplayed.
"Whar's Riley an' Nason?"
"Not far off."
"Did they go ter sleep too?"
"You can ask them when you see them, Anderson."
"So you know me, do yer?"
"I do, and I haven't forgotten that affair at Mountain Meadow," went onold Benson, referring to a shooting in which Anderson had been theguilty party.
At these words the desperado winced.
"Well, now ye have got me fast, wot yer goin' to do with me?" hequestioned.
"I'm going to ask you a few questions, Anderson, and I want you toanswer me straight, too. If I learn you've given it to me crooked, I'llfix you for it, remember that."
"Wot do yer want to know?"
"Where are Gilroy and the rest of your crowd stopping?"
"Wot do yer want to know that fur?"
"Answer the question--and tell me the truth," and old Benson lookedsternly at his prisoner.
"At a cave near Bald Top," returned Anderson sulkily. "But I don't knowhow long they were goin' ter stay there."
"Where were they going to take Captain Moore?"
This question came as a surprise to the desperado.
"Wot do yer know about dat?" he cried.
"Answer the question."
"Goin' ter take him to dat same cave, first."
"And then?"
"Dey was bound fer Lone Creek, up to where old Cimber onct had a claim."
"You are telling me the truth? Remember, if you put me on the wrongtrail----"
"It's the truth, Benson. But, say, don't be rough on me. I aint such abad egg. Dat shootin'----"
"I know all about you, Anderson. Now come with me."
Reaching down, the old scout untied the rascal's feet, that he mightwalk, and then forced Anderson to journey to the big hole.
Here they found the other two desperadoes sitting at the bottom,growling over their luck and speculating upon what old Benson intendedto do next.
"If you leave us here we'll die of hunger and thirst," said one.
"No, you won't," answered the old scout. "You've got your hands to workwith, and if you aint lazy you can dig your way to the top inside oftwenty-four hours."
"And our hosses?"
"I'll take care of them, Riley. If you want 'em again you can get 'em byapplying at the fort."
"At the fort!"
"Exactly, and in the meantime we'll keep them in exchange for theanimals Matt Gilroy stole, when I and my friends were stopping at HankLeeson's cabin."
With the desperadoes safe for the time being at the bottom of the hole,old Benson set off without delay for the cave near Bald Top Mountain, asit was called for years by Rocky Mountain pioneers. He rode his ownhorse, leading the others by his lariat, which he always carried withhim.
He fully realized that there was danger ahead, and that if he wanted toassist his friends he must move with caution. He knew that Captain Moorehad been made a prisoner, but whether or not Joe and Darry had beencaptured also was still a question.
Coming in sight of the spot where the cave was located, he dismountedand tied all the horses in the woods at the foot of a slope. Then hecrawled forward until he was within a hundred feet of the entrance tothe cave.
He was just in time to see Fetter depart on his mission. The desperadopassed within fifty yards of where the horses were stationed, and forseveral minutes Benson was fearful that the animals would be discovered.But Fetter was looking in another direction, and so saw nothing of thesteeds.
As darkness had come on, the desperadoes had lit a camp-fire near theentrance to the cave.
Two men still remained on guard. The others took it easy, and did verymuch as they pleased. All waited for Riley and the others to return withFetter, bringing in old Benson as a prisoner.
As the scout heard the talk about himself he chuckled grimly and graspedhis rifle tighter than ever.
"Reckon you'd be surprised to know I was so close," he muttered. "Well,if it comes to a mix-up, I'll try to hold up my end, just you see if Idon't!"