Produced by Graeme Mackreth and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
[Illustration: "He pushed out beyond the shadows of the trees."]
Jesse and his band while passing through Colorado on their way east have many exciting adventures. The great desperado is captured by the Indians, after a battle with United States Cavalry and is rescued by an Indian maiden. He blows up an Indian village with dynamite and performs other of the daring feats for which he was so noted during his career. In a mining city in Colorado, he saves the life of a sheriff and robs two banks, from which he and his men carry away more than a hundred thousand dollars.
Copyright, 1909, by The Arthur Westbrook Company
Published by THE ARTHUR WESTBROOK COMPANY, CLEVELAND, U.S.A.
IV. The Strange Battle in the Witch's Cave 39
The cry was uttered by the foremost of a little band of horsemen riding slowly in single file over the rocky bed of what had once been a raging torrent.
Darkness was descending over the canyon-traversed wilds of Southern Colorado and the air was hot and still.
Towering high above them, sinister and awesome in the half light rose solid walls of rock.
And as the leader of the little band had rounded a jutting crag, he beheld a sight that had brought the startled cry to his lips.
Far down the canyon, two fires glowed, seeming, in the darkness, like the luminous eyes of some wild monster.
Roused by the exclamation of their companion, the others drew rein, peering intently ahead of them.
Footsore and weary, for they had travelled fast and far during the day that was just drawing to a close, the jaded horses stood, with heads hanging low, while their riders stared ahead of them.
"Them's either signal fires or camp fires," grunted one of the men, after a careful study of the brilliant lights.
"Ain't you the wise lad, though," snorted another. "You talk as though we were tenderfeet. Any fool knows they're camp or signal fires.
"It's which of the two they are that counts. Tell us that and you'll be saying something."
"Well, Comanche Tony's the laddy buck who can find out," snapped the man who had first espied the glaring fires, slipping from his saddle.
And without heeding the protests of the others, he glided away, soon being lost to sight among the rocks.
