"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."