"There! If Bow only sees that he'll come runnin'!" Baldy cried. But the smoke signal was the cause of considerable trouble to our friends. Hardly had Paul and Baldy finished sending the message, which they could only hope was seen and read at Rocky Ranch, than some of the Indians came back. They had noted what had been done, and they were very angry. With furious gestures they rushed on the prisoners and for a moment it looked as though there would be trouble. Baldy and Paul stood steadily, revolvers in hand. But there was no need to use them. Jumping Horse rushed up, and drove back his men. Then he said something angrily to Baldy. "What is it?" asked Mr. DeVere. "He says we shall be punished for making the smoke," was the answer. "I don't know whether they think it's a signal or not; but it seems to have been contrary to some of their ceremonies. We'll have to sit tight and watch." Muttering angrily, Jumping Horse went back to join the other Indians, and they seemed to hold a conference regarding the prisoners. Nothing was done immediately, however, in the way of punishment, and a little later the ceremonies went on. It was growing dusk, and the howling and yelling of the Indians punctuated their caperings about a blood-red post in the center of the sandy circle. Then, suddenly, there was a fusillade of pistol shots from the direction of the trail, and at the same time the unmistakable shouts of cowboys. "They're here!" yelled Baldy, jumping to his feet and firing his own revolver in the air. "To the rescue, boys! Here we be!" CHAPTER XVIII A RUSH OF STEERS Russ came bounding from his hut, carrying with him the moving picture camera, its three legs trailing behind him. "Come on, girls!" he cried, as he saw Ruth and Alice peering from their shelter. "It's all right!" "Oh, what does it mean?" asked Ruth. "Where's daddy?" "Here I am," answered Mr. DeVere. "It's all right!" yelled Baldy, capering about, and vainly clicking his revolvers, for he had fired all the cartridges in the cylinders. "It's the boys from Rocky Ranch! They saw my signal and came to the rescue!" "That you, Baldy?" shouted a voice out of the cloud of powder smoke that hid, for a moment, the cowboys from view. "That's who it is, Bow!" was the answer. "Could you read my smoke?" "I sure could, and we come a-runnin'. Are the girls safe?" "Everybody's safe. But look out for yourself, these Indians are sort of riled at us." From the group of Indians who had left their ceremonies, to rush toward the huts of their erstwhile captives at the sound of the shots and cheers, came deep-voiced mutterings. They were gathered in a group around their chief, Jumping Horse. "Look out for 'em!" yelled Baldy. "Don't worry," advised Pete Batso. "They haven't any weapons." "Just my luck," groaned Russ, setting up his camera. "What's the matter?" asked Alice, who now felt no alarm.