They were to lie low until they should receive from her a signal that most
of the gang had left to take West to the place appointed for the exchange.
They were then to wait through the day until dusk, slip quietly down, and
capture the ranch before the return of the party with the gold. In case
anything should occur to delay the attack on the ranch, another signal was
to be given by Rosario.
The first signal was to be the hanging of washing upon the line. If this
should be removed before nightfall, Bellamy was to wait until he should
hear from her again.
Bellamy believed that the Chaves woman was playing square with him, but he
preferred to take no chances. As soon as she had left to return to the
settlement of the outlaws he moved camp again to a point almost half a
mile from the place where she had last seen them. If the whole thing were
a "plant," and a night attack had been planned, he wanted to be where he
and his men could ambush the ambushers, if necessary.
But the night passed without any alarm. As the morning wore away the
scheduled washing appeared on the line. Farnum crept down to the valley
lip and trained his glasses on the ranch house. Occasionally he could
discern somebody moving about, though there were not enough signs of
activity to show the presence of many people. All day the wash hung
drying on the line. Dusk came, the blankets still signaling that all was
well.
Bellamy led his men forward under cover, following the wooded ridge above
the Cache so long as there was light enough by which they might be
observed from the valley. With the growing darkness he began the descent
into the bowl just behind the corral. A light shone in the larger cabin;
and Bellamy knew that, unless Rosario were playing him false, the men
would be at supper there. He left his men lying down behind the corral,
while he crept forward to the window from which the light was coming.
In the room were two men and the Mexican woman. The men, with elbows far
apart, and knives and forks very busy, were giving strict attention to the
business in hand. Rosario waited upon them, but with ear and eye guiltily
alert to catch the least sound. The mine owner could even overhear
fragments of the talk.
"Ought to get back by midnight, don't you reckon? Pass the cow and the
sugar, Buck. Keep a-coming with that coffee, Rosario. I ain't a mite
afraid but what MacQueen will pull it off all right, you bet."