Soon Danforth beheld several flitting shadows below. A number of men were coming up the rocky slope; they had spread out and were approaching the cavern’s mouth without any regard to military formation. Several, however, were coming close to the forked tree which Cody had previously noted. That stood some yards in front, and a little below, where he lay with his friend, the lieutenant. “All right, Bill!” whispered Danforth. “Wait till I give the word,” breathed the scout. “Let some of them pass. We want every shot to count.” A few moments more they waited. Several figures passed on up the hill, dodging from rock to rock, but all converging toward the mouth of the cave where the fire now glowed dully. That they were the bandits, and not the redskins, Cody was sure. Suddenly he saw two of the prowlers approaching the forked tree. He nudged Danforth sharply. The two outlaws in question were almost under the branching limbs of the tree when they heard what sounded like the scratching of claws on the rough bark. Both looked up, and beheld an uncertain but bulky figure lying along one branch. A sharp snarl seemed to come from it, and the two bandits sprang away. “Curse you!” exclaimed the voice of Bennett, low but deadly in its temper. “What’s the matter?” Two or three of the bandits ran together. They thought some attack had been made upon them. “What is it?” repeated several in shrill whispers. “A cougar!” “A wildcat!” “Get back to your stations!” commanded Bennett. “Do you want to spoil the whole thing? Such cursed foolishness over a blamed tomcat----” He had approached the tree, and suddenly the animal on the limb seemed to gather itself for a spring, and there sounded upon the night air the shrill, blood-curdling yell of the dreaded panther! “Look out, Boyd! He’s goin’ ter jump!” exclaimed one fellow. Several of the others stepped warily back and raised their guns. Above on the hillside--this had been prearranged by Cody--one of the troopers shouted: “Who goes there?” “Curse my body and bones!” growled Bennett. “The game is spoiled! They’ve heard us.” The supposed panther screamed again, and then the body in the tree was hurled out into the air. Involuntarily every outlaw in sight took a pot-shot at the flying body. The mountainside reechoed with the reports of half a dozen guns, and the flashes of the same revealed to the ambushed party just where the bandits stood. The log of wood, dressed in a blanket, representing the panther, and jerked out of the tree by Cody’s lariat, fell to the ground riddled by the bullets of the outlaws. But instantly Danforth leaped up and shouted to his men: “Now, my bullies! Give it to them!”