“I thought so,” chuckled Ted.  “They are trapped and they know it.  They can defend the hole against all comers by that passage, but it didn’t seem to occur to them that they might be made prisoners by the same means.”

The inmates of the hole were in the confusion of terror, but at last Flatnose and his son, Moonface, succeeded in pacifying them, and a consultation was under way.

“Where is Shan Rhue?” asked Stella.  “I haven’t seen him for some time.”

“That’s so,” answered Ted.  “I don’t see him.”  He scanned the hole carefully, but Shan Rhue was not there.

“Is there any secret passage by which he might escape?” asked Ted.

“Do you see that little shelter of canvas over against the wall?” said Stella.

Ted nodded.

“I believe there is a way out there known only to Shan Rhue.  That is where he slept,” she continued.

“Then he has escaped by it.  Sol Flatbush is not in evidence, either.  I’ll bet a cooky they’ve skipped.”

It was getting light in the east, and the Indians rode once more into the passage, firing their rifles.  Then they charged.

But soon they came rushing back; the boys at the entrance had again repulsed them.

From far away came the soft but clear call of a bugle.

“The troops!” cried Ted, springing to his feet.  “The cavalry is coming from Fort Sill.  This thing will soon be over now.”

He and Stella went to the edge of the cliff overlooking the valley, and far away saw a dark mass, in the midst of which they caught the flash of the rising sun on polished swords and carbines, and a gleam of color from the flag that fluttered in the fresh morning breeze.

The Indians in the hole had heard the bugle also, and now there was confusion indescribable.  On came the troops, and Ted and Stella went down to meet them.

Captain Hendry was in command, and it did not take him long to get in possession of the facts.

“So you’ve got them bottled up, eh?” he said to Ted.

“Yes; all you have to do is to make them surrender,” answered Ted.

“Which I don’t think will be such an easy thing.”

“I don’t think you’ll have any trouble about it.  Come with me, and bring a firing squad of your men.”

The captain gave the order, and followed Ted to where he could look down into the hole.

Then the captain laughed.  “You have done better than I expected,” he said.

Raising his voice, Captain Hendry shouted: 

“Flatnose, you know me.  This is Captain Hendry.  I have got you in that hole like a rat in a trap.  If you are wise, you will throw down your arms and surrender.  I have my men here with me, and if you do not surrender, we will have to shoot you to death one by one.  Will you surrender?”

The old chief looked up and saw the captain leaning over the edge above.  For several minutes he stared upward, then he threw his rifle to the ground and gave a hoarse command, and his followers threw their arms upon that of their leader.