He seemed perfectly sane, and there was nothing to do but to trust him, and so this plan was agreed to by the boys. Old Solitary kept in the background, saying nothing. When everything was arranged, Frank and Barney left the professor, and once more followed the strange man of the canyon on their way to the village of the Danites. They urged Old Solitary to lose no time, for they were eager to do their best in the effort to save Professor Scotch and Walter Clyde and get away from the canyon. It was not long before they drew near the pocket, and they advanced with great caution, although it was not thought absolutely necessary, as there was not one chance in a hundred that the Danites would expect them to make such an audacious attempt. Deep in the canyon the shadows lay thick, which was to their advantage. They succeeded in entering the pocket without being challenged. Lights twinkled from two or three windows. Somewhere in the village a beautiful but untrained voice was singing the chorus of a love song. "That is Miskel," whispered Frank. They lay in the darkness, watching and waiting. Of a sudden an unexpected thing happened. The door of the very building into which Professor Scotch had been carried was flung wide open, allowing a broad bar of light to shine out. Then, out of this lighted doorway streamed a dozen men, and a bell began to clang in a doleful manner. "What does it mean?" whispered Frank, wonderingly. "It means that the tribunal of death has pronounced doom upon the captives," answered Old Solitary. "The session has just broken up, and the captives will be executed without delay." CHAPTER XXIII. LAST OF THE DANITES. "How do you know?" "I have witnessed other executions here." "Then no time is to be lost." "What would you do?" "I do not know--something, anything to save them!" Old Solitary held Frank back. "Do not throw your life away," he said. "Wait a while. See, they are lighting two bonfires, the piles of wood having been prepared in advance." "What is that for?" "That there may be plenty of light for the execution, which the entire camp will witness. See, a few moments ago the place seemed asleep, but now it is all astir with life." "I see," groaned the wretched boy; "and it seems to me that there is very little chance for us to get in there and save Scotch and Clyde." "Not one chance in a hundred. See those two posts in the full glare of light? Well, to those posts the captives are to be tied. It is plain that the tribunal have doomed them to death by shooting. What a farce!" "That's right!" grated Frank; "it is a farce! As well might they have killed them in the first place. There was no chance for them to escape." "Not the least." "Look, Frankie," whispered Barney, "there comes th' poor profissor, an' Cloyde is clost behindt him." The Danites were marching their captives out to execution! In a very few moments the professor and the boy were tied to the death-posts.