Whirling him roughly, his guards backed him against the tree trunk and while they held him, others deftly bound him to the improvised stake with lariats they had brought with them from the bottom of the canyon.
Grave, indeed, was his situation.
And it needed no one to tell the captive bandit that the redmen proposed to burn him at the stake when they should tire of their preliminary tortures.
But as his plight became more desperate, Comanche Tony became the more determined to gain time.
Only one expedient was there of which he could think that was adequate in his dire extremity.
He must scare the painted bucks.
And while he was considering whether he could do this the most readily by threatening them with vengeance at the hands of the world-famous desperado, or by telling them a squad of United States cavalry were on their trail, the Indians made what was, to them, a fatal move.
They kindled a fire about two rods from where Comanche Tony stood tied to the stake.
As the tongues of flame leaped in the air, their reflection was seen by Jesse James and his men in the canyon.
"By thunder! Do you suppose that's from the Injuns or the sojers?" asked Wild Bill, as his chief sprang to his feet.