“I have.”
“State it, old man. You know well enough you don’t have to stand on ceremony with me.”
“This fire can be seen from below. Let it die down. Don’t let any fuel be flung on for some time. When it’s at the lowest we can lead our horses out without being seen.”
“Give up our shelter, Bill? And with a horde of redskins coming?”
“Sure. Let them attack an empty cave—but one that doesn’t look empty. The last man to leave can fling a pile of fuel on the fire and then slip away before it burns up brightly. So we’ll have ’em attacking an empty fortress while we are out here among the rocks ready to play heck with ’em!”
“I’m not afraid of the outlaws,” said Danforth slowly. “But the redskins——”
“Won’t come too near the cave; it’s bad medicine, as I told you.”
“But when they see that we’re outside——”
“Wait! We’ll lead the horses away along the trail we came over, and leave them in charge of one man. Then, when it gets too hot for us—if the reds pitch in—we’ll decamp. The reds won’t be too near, however. I know ’em. An Injun is as full of superstition as an egg is of meat.”
“Your plan looks good, Bill.”