Smiling as he saw this indication of alarm, Jesse addressed the others:
"It's an old trick among troopers, one that will be well for you to remember in the future, when they are on a search, for the squad that's hit the trail not to answer the rocket signals of the others.
"If the men they're hunting happen to see the rockets in every direction but one, they'll naturally make the move Homely suggested--ride away in the direction from which there was no signal--and fall right into the trap!
"I had a close call once--before I got wise. That's how I happen to know.
"How near the troopers on the west are to us, of course I can't tell.
"But they're not very far off. They've hit our trail in the canyon and--"
"They're right down at the foot of the cliff examining the dead campfires the Injuns left," interrupted Frank.
"You doped it right, Jess, I'll have to admit."
So engrossed had the others been in listening to the bandit-chieftain that they had not seen Frank as he returned from his reconnaisance, and the effect of his words, melodramatic as was the manner in which they fitted in, struck consternation to their hearts.
Enjoying the sensation he had caused, the elder of the James Boys continued:
"They've corralled our ponies, I could see one of the sojers leading 'em.
"The moon against the walls of the cliff makes it pretty near as light as day down at the bottom."
"We _are_ in a mess," grunted Bob. "Injuns on one side of us and sojers on all the others. Looks as though this top of the cliff was going to be our burying ground."
"Between the two, the way things is, I reckon I'd ruther tackle the Injuns, eh, Jess?" interposed Comanche Tony, hurriedly, ere his chief could say another thing.
"When I was peerin' through the bush on tother side of this table of rocks, I see'd a campfire with a lot of Injuns cuttin' up round it.
"At fust, I couldn't git on to wot it meant, then I tumbled that it's a war dance.
"I'll bet my scalp, them bucks wot got away from us ull hipper over to the pow-wow to bring 'em back here, thinkin' we'll either be on top, as we be, or down in the canyon, as we was."
"But they'd see the rockets," protested Bud.
"Wot of it? They ain't got no Jess James with 'em to put 'em next to the signal trick an' they'll think there ain't no one to the West."