How did Rooster and LaBoeuf trick Ned Pepper?

• A. They rode away and Pepper mistook their departure.
• B. They surrendered to Pepper.
• C. They used a decoy to draw Pepper toward a different direction.
• D. They rode over the ridge so Pepper could see them leave, LaBoeuf circled back to rescue Mattie, and Rooster went back to the meadow to confront the Pepper gang.

Answer: (D)

The key idea is using deception and timing to gain the upper hand in a dangerous standoff. They create a convincing withdrawal so Ned Pepper thinks they’re leaving in one direction, by riding over the ridge where Pepper can see them. This feint lures Pepper to pursue, misdirecting him from the real plan. While Pepper follows the apparent retreat, LaBoeuf circles back to reach and protect Mattie, and Rooster heads back toward the meadow to directly confront Pepper’s gang. The combination—a deliberate decoy move plus a coordinated reversal that saves Mattie and pinpoints Pepper’s gang—lets them turn a risky pursuit into an advantageous confrontation. Simply leaving or surrendering doesn’t explain the rescue and the return to engage Pepper, and a decoy alone doesn’t capture how they execute the real plan with Rooster facing the gang and LaBoeuf securing Mattie.