"How about that?" demanded Jess sharply, his suspicions rekindled by the seeming discrepancy in Dew Drop's statement.
"Kaw-Kaw in um cave," returned the maiden with positiveness. "When um hear Great Bear say go back git um Jess Jame, Kaw-Kaw say go um cave get um cuss ready case Great Bear no get um Jess Jame."
"So that smell's the old hag's curses, a brewin', eh?" chuckled Tony. "I'm glad they're for Great Bear and his bucks and not me, if they're that strong."
But further speech was stopped by the sudden appearance of three tall forms, looming in the entrance of the cave.
Crouching low, the bandit-chieftain watched them, stealthily drawing his shooting-irons.
Yet before he could extract them from his holsters, he felt Dew Drop's hand on his arm, restrainingly.
Turning toward her, wondering what she meant, he saw her shake her head vigorously, at the same time pressing upon his arm.
"Evidently doesn't want me to shoot," reasoned Jesse. "I reckon she knows more about what's best in this witch-den than I do."
And he silently dropped his guns back into their holsters.
The old Indian fighter had been a spectator of the pantomime and as he saw his chief relinquish his weapons, he did likewise.