They came to the cañon’s end, but swerved suddenly toward the right and galloped along the rim and up a gentle slope, the last before reaching the sea. Captain Ramón expected to hear roars of rage from the cañon, but he did not. He almost chuckled. Barbados evidently supposed that the commandante was playing some trick, he took it for granted.
They reached the crest of the slope and pulled up among the trees and looked down upon the pirate camp. A few women and children were running about, but they could see no men.
“Down the slope, then turn and gallop back toward the cañon,” Captain Ramón instructed. “Thus we take them in the rear and have the rogues at our mercy!”
“How do you know that they are in the cañon?” the lieutenant asked with quick suspicion.
“Did I not hear this Señor Zorro make his plans?” Captain Ramón demanded with some show of anger. “Am I not your superior officer? They are now in the cañon, expecting us to gallop into the trap they have planned.”
“Then they saw us approach,” the lieutenant declared.
“Sí! And they are wondering what is happening, no doubt. It is possible that they have seen me at the head of the troopers and have noticed that Señor Zorro is not present. But they have not had time to get back to their camp. Their trap has been turned against them. Forward!”
Down the slope swept the troopers, and women and children screeched and ran into the huts and buildings. In a big circle the soldiers from San Diego de Alcála swerved and started back toward the cañon’s mouth to hem in their foes.
And, in that instant, the commandante found that things were not as he had expected, and that he had been fooled. Reports of firearms came to his ears, bullets whistled among the troopers, and some of them fell from their saddles. And from the huts and buildings of the pirate camp poured the motley crew of Barbados, screeching their battle-cries, eager to wipe out the soldiery that would have tricked and slain them.
Captain Ramón cursed and began shouting commands. The troopers fired their pistols, drew their blades, and prepared for bloody and more intimate work. From behind the largest adobe building dashed a number of mounted pirates, Barbados and Sanchez riding at their head.