a puzzle on the back of a Bryant and May matchbox I found?

Question

A cowboy in the american west, reconnoitring native indian territory, saw a band of two and a half dozen warriors. Fearing he would be captured, he wanted to leave a message for his colleagues, who were following him, but he had no pen and paper. In fact all he could find were five fencing posts. How, using them could he pass on the information?

Answer 1

I cut and pasted this from http://www.wearescientists.com/advice/2005/10/23/

It may help, but if was you that posted the query you will know this already...

This cowboy actually has a pretty broad range of messages he’ll be able to communicate using the fencing posts. By grouping them close together, he tells passers-by that there are five things (indian settlements? indians?) grouped near one another, somewhere, maybe nearby. By laying one post on the ground then laying another directly on top of that, then laying two more posts atop one another roughly two feet away and parallel to the first two, and then laying the last post perpendicular to and connecting the two stacks, the cowboy communicates that there is a bridge. Finally, he could make a desperate plea to the Indian warriors that they use the five stakes to kill him; now when his compatriot cowboys find the stakes all driven through his chest and head and stuff, they’ll be aware that Indians got him.

Answer 2

He could lay the 5 posts out in the shape of III & X the roman numerals for 3 & 10 to show 30, which is how many Indians were following him?
The only reason I say that is that maybe the riddle needs you to use the matches in the Bryant and May box to try it out?

Otherwise I'm stumped!

Answer 3

Very Racist, Culturally Ignorant, and Culturally Insenstive.

Answer 4

he could scratch in the grouund

Answer 5

he could turn around

Answer 6

i'm with Daisy