"When we get clear, we'll strike for the place the bucks are grazing their ponies, Dew Drop'll tell us where it is."
"Jus' other side trees, straight from cave," responded the red-skinned maiden.
"Good. All ready, boys! I'll go first. Don't begin shooting till we're all in the other cave.
If the braves or troopers recognized Jesse, they might forget their fight in the desire to capture their common enemy.
And then the outlaws' shrift would be short.
But no word of protest did the others offer.
In deciding upon the sortie, the bandit-chieftain had counted on the cavalrymen mistaking him and his pals for Indians while he hoped the savages would think them troopers.
Furiously was the battle raging as Jesse finished the announcement of his plans.
From the yells and shouts, he decided that the soldiers were driving back the redskins.
And, with hope high, he began to crawl through the hole onto the field of strife.
As they gained the larger cave, they saw that the troopers had, indeed, forced the braves back.
"Don't shoot till we get on top of 'em," breathed Jesse. "I'll give the word. Ready! Charge!"
Like deers the outlaws sped toward the cavalrymen, their presence unsuspected.
But as they got within twenty feet of them, a voice suddenly shrilled:
In their reckoning, the desperadoes had forgotten the old witch whose son they had killed.
The cause of the fight between soldiers and Indians, Kaw-Kaw, had ducked into a niche out of range of the bullets, from which she watched the conflict.
And as the bandits rushed past, she recognized them.
Yet before her warning had rung out, the bandit-chieftain thundered:
But while his men poured their murderous fire into the troopers, Jesse turned and sent a shot crashing into the brain of the old hag and she toppled from her hiding place, a blood-curdling shriek coming from her lips as she fell.
Amazed at the warning which was followed on the instant by the fusilade from behind, the cavalrymen whirled to face their foes from the new quarter.
But the rain of lead from the outlaws' guns was terrible.
One after another, the troopers fell, mowed down like grass before the scythe.
"We've cleaned 'em out! Come on! Charge the Injuns! We've got to shoot our way through!" bellowed the world-famous desperado.