And as the world-famous desperado, peering cautiously from the brushwood, saw they had vanished, he heaved a mighty sigh of relief.
Terrible, indeed, had been the suspense of the six men crawling on hands and knees under cover of the bushes.
On their ears alone had they been obliged to rely to tell them what was transpiring about them, for they dared not raise their heads to look, lest the eyes of the troopers decry them.
When they had heard the crash of the volley, Jesse had turned toward the very bank from which it was fired.
And as the soldiers descended to learn the result of their shots, the outlaws had crept up the steep incline.
Of necessity, their progress was slow and not more than half way to the top were they when the words of the captain, expressing his belief that his quarry was on the farther plain, had reached them.
Still crawling, the bandit-chieftain had waited till he thought sufficient time had elapsed for all to have gained the plains before he ventured to look to make sure.
And when he found that the cavalrymen had, indeed, disappeared over the opposite bank, he quickly apprised his companions.
"I'll bet my hair's turned white," ejaculated Wild Bill. "I ain't never been through no such tryout before an' I don't want to agin."
"Don't crow too soon," admonished Comanche Tony. "We ain't clear yet—by a long shot."