“Well, it won’t hurt, I guess,” said Jack, doubtfully.  “He might escape and betray us to rebel headquarters, but I suspect we can guard against that.  Besides, he’s bound to find out our identities, because those other two chaps will recognize you.”

“Hardly in this rig,” said Bob, referring to his clothing.  “We talked all that over, you remember.”

“That’s right.  I had forgotten.”

Bob and Jack had drawn aside during the whispered colloquy.  Now Bob turned back to his prisoner.

“Look here,” he said.  “We’ll have a little talk later.  Right now we all need a good sleep.”

Without more ado, Bob and Frank tied Stone’s hands and led him to his bed, behind a curtain in one corner of the outer room.  They considered that inasmuch as he was wounded, he was entitled to the bed.  The German had recovered consciousness from the blow on the head dealt him by Tom, and the latter already had ranged him and the Mexican along the wall where the sentinel could keep an eye on them.  For themselves, the boys pulled a heavy rug to another portion of the wall, spread the heavy hangings formerly covering the door to the inner cave on top, and here Bob and Frank lay down with their ponchos over them.  Presently they were joined by Jack who had planned to mount guard the first two hours, but who had been overruled by Tom Bodine.

“No, you don’t,” said the latter.  “I’m a tougher bird than you, and I take this job myself, an’ that goes.”

Too tired to protest very vehemently, Jack turned in after exacting a promise that Tom would call him at the end of two hours.  The old cowman, however, had no such intention.  It was not until eight hours later that he summoned Jack.  The lights in the cave still burned brightly, for Tom had refrained from switching them off for the obvious reason that they made it easy to keep an eye on the prisoners.  Day-light, however, showed at the mouth of the cave.  When Jack noted the time, he began to scold.

“Forgit it,” said Tom Bodine, gruffly.  “You boys needed a good sleep while I’m an old hand at ridin’ night herd.  It didn’t bother me none to stay up.”

Without further words, he turned in and was asleep almost on the instant.  Jack roused Bob and Frank, and while Bob mounted guard at the mouth of the cave where he could keep watch both on their prisoners and on the approach from below, the two others explored a rude pantry behind a curtain.  They found a plentiful stock of provisions, which made it unnecessary for them to draw upon their own limited food supplies for breakfast.

When they themselves had eaten, they released the captives one at a time and fed them, afterwards replacing their bonds.  The Mexican and the German were surly and uncommunicative.  The latter tried to ply them with questions, but when they refused to answer he adopted a bullying tone and threatened them with all sorts of dire punishment.  His threats, however, were no more effective at breaking down their silence than were his questions.