by Frank Fowler
CHAPTER X.
A TIMELY RESCUE.
The minute the boys' presence became known, there was a commotionin the house and in the clearing surrounding it. Those in theyard sprang toward their guns and those in the house jumped fromthe table.
"Don't move," called out Billie. "We are friends."
But the men were not sure and at once surrounded the boys.
They appeared to be soldiers, but their uniforms were of a greatvariety and many hues. Only the officer in command had anythingthe appearance of a real soldier.
"Who are you?" he demanded as he came forward.
"Friends! Americanos!" replied Donald.
"Yes; and hungry ones," added Billie with a gesture that broughta smile to the officer's face.
"Where did you come from?" was the next inquiry.
Donald explained that they had been left by a train that hadstopped nearby. He did not think it necessary to enlighten theofficer as to the circumstances.
"If you don't believe us," broke in Billie, "you can ask theofficers we left back there by the track."
Donald made a gesture of impatience, which Billie failed tounderstand, but which the officer was quick to interpret.
"Officers? Of which army?" he quickly asked.
"Gen. Huerta's."
"Carramba!" exclaimed the officer in command. "Go quick,corporal, and bring them to me."
Then to Billie: "If you are telling me the truth you have done mea great favor."
The boys looked surprised.
"How is that?" asked Donald.
"Do you not know that we are of the army of Gen. Carranza?" wasthe interrogative reply.
"Why, no!" exclaimed the boys in unison.
"It is true," said the officer. "I am Captain Lopez. Now tell me,who are you?"
Briefly Donald told of their acquaintance with Gen. Sanchez andof their adventures of the night before, at which the captainlaughed heartily.
"You are smart boys," he declared.
"And hungry ones," again added Billie.
"You must be. Here, Juan," calling a soldier to him. "Take these_muchachos_ to the house and feed them. I'll have a look at theserebels."
"Rebels," said Adrian to Donald under his breath as they walkedtoward the house. "Now what do you think of that?"
"That's his viewpoint," replied Don. "He thinks of the men whooverthrew President Madero as rebels."
By this time they were near enough the house for Billie to smellthe aroma of the coffee and he quickened his pace.
"I'll talk politics after I've sampled the breakfast," hedeclared. "If the breakfast is good, I'll join the band."
It was nearly half an hour later that the boys stood before thecaptain. With a good breakfast under their belts they felt fitfor anything that might offer.
"I'm afraid you boys are in a bad fix," said Captain Lopez. "Isuppose you want to get to Vera Cruz and on to some ship thatwill take you to the United States; but I don't know how you aregoing to make it."
"Why, can't we get another train somewhere down the line?" askedAdrian.
"There may not be any more trains for some time."
"How's that?"
"We are here to stop them."
"Does that mean you are going out to tear up the track?"
"Not right here, but a little nearer Vera Cruz. There is a muchlarger body of troops about five miles below."
Billie uttered a prolonged whistle.
"That does look bad, sure enough," he declared. Then, after apause: "What's the matter with walking?"
"It's a long ways and the mountains are full of our men."
"Can't you give us a safe passage? You say we have done you afavor by turning these two officers over to you," suggestedDonald, indicating with a nod of his head the captain andlieutenant of the train guard who were now held prisoners.
"I'll do the best I can," was the reply, "but you will have toremain with me to-day. We are on scout duty and shall not returnto the main body until to-night."
"That'll suit me all right," laughed Billie, "and if you don'tmind I think I'll go into the house somewhere and take a nap."
"Bueno," laughed the captain. "You might as well all take a nap.If we have occasion to leave the neighborhood we will call you."
Ten minutes later the three were fast asleep on a pile of Mexicanblankets in the best room in the house.
Three hours later they were awakened by a fusillade of shots.
They sprang to their feet and looked around. For just a momentthey could not remember where they were. Then they recalled theirsituation and became on the alert.
"Trouble outside," was Don's laconic statement.
He and Billie drew the revolvers they had captured the nightbefore.
"Put 'em up," advised Adrian. "We're not here to fight."
"We might have to," from Billie.
"Not at all. If one side wins, we are safe. If the other sidewins, we are prisoners and the attackers will be our rescuers."
"Great head, Ad," was Billie's comment. "But I'd like to knowwhat is going on," as another fusillade was heard.
"Better stay where we are till the shooting stops," said Don.
It was good advice and the boys waited as quietly as they could.
A few minutes later there was a volley and a shout, followed bythe sound of rushing feet. Then there was quiet as the shots wereheard receding.
When none of their friends returned after a few minutes, the boysventured to the door. There was no one in sight.
"I wonder where they have all gone?" ventured Billie.
"I expect that our friends have run away and some of Huerta'ssoldiers are chasing them."
"If they do, they will run into an ambush," said Adrian.
Which is exactly what happened.
"That won't do us any good," said Don. "Now that we are alone, Ivote that we get back to the railroad track. We won't get lost ifwe follow that and a train may come along."
The advice seemed good and they started to go.
"Hold on," exclaimed Billie. "Let's see if we can't find somegrub to take with us."
"Great head!" laughed Adrian.
"Great stomach, you mean," from Donald. "It never lets himforget."
The boys plundered through the house. The owners must have beenscared away, for nothing had been disturbed. In the kitchen theyfound a big plate of _tortillas_, half a baked kid, and somewheat bread. This they appropriated.
"We might as well have a blanket apiece," said Donald. "It isonly another case of a fair exchange. The Mexicans have our suitcases."
Each took a blanket and Adrian was so fortunate after searchingall over the house as to find a shotgun and a belt full of loadedshells that went with it.
"If those shells were loaded with buckshot you'd be all right,"said Billie. "They're the----"
His speech was interrupted by a cry that fairly made their bloodrun cold.
"What's that?" and the three stopped as though they had beenparalysed.
Again came the cry, and with a single bound the boys were out inthe open, each with his weapon ready for instant use.
They could see no one, but there was the sound of somethingcrashing through the brush which hid the railroad from the house.
"Sounded like a wild cat," declared Donald.
"Or a coyote," said Billie.
"I'm sure it was a human voice," remarked Adrian. "Do youremember the Zunis?" referring to another adventure told in thestory of the "Broncho Rider Boys Along the Border."
Even as he spoke there emerged from the brush the figure of awoman carrying in her arms a small child. Winged by fear, she wasbounding along like an antelope.
A moment later, and not two rods behind her, came forth a figurewhich the boys instantly recognized as a mountain lion.
How the woman had succeeded in escaping it even for a moment wasa mystery.
In a second the three weapons spoke. The report was followed by ascream from the beast and a cry from the woman, both of
whom felllifeless to the earth--the beast dead and the woman in a swoon.
"Take care of the woman, you two," said Adrian. "I'll examine thebeast."
No one stopped to question the order.
Billie picked up the child which the woman had let fall, whileDonald stooped down and felt the woman's pulse. Then he dartedinto the house and was back in a minute with a bucket half filledwith water. With it he bathed the woman's temples and poured alittle down her throat.
In a couple of minutes she revived and looked around.
"Mi nina!" she gasped.
"She's asking for her child," said Donald.
Billie carried the little one over and stood it beside her.
With a glad cry she snatched it in her arms and burst into tears.
"She's all right," laughed Donald. "Now let's have a look at thatanimal."
They walked over to where Adrian was watching the inanimatecarcass.
"Where did we hit him?" asked Billie.
"I can see three places and one is big enough to throw a baseballthrough it."
"That's from the shotgun," said Donald. "It's what did thebusiness. Must have been buckshot and we were so close it didn'thave a chance to scatter."
"I'd sure like that hide," said Adrian.
"We'll be in luck if we save our own," remarked Billie. "Unlesswe can do something for the woman, we'd better be jogging along."
By this time the woman had risen to her feet and the boys couldsee that she was not a peon as they had supposed, but of thebetter class.
"Where could she have come from?" queried Donald under hisbreath.
"Suppose you ask her," laughed Adrian.
Donald did so. At first she was too dazed to answer, but afterDonald spoke a few words quietly and in his very best Spanish,she was able to answer his questions.
"Is this your house?" he asked.
"No, Senor; my house is down the mountain."
"What are you doing here alone?"
She gave him a startled glance and then hugged the child closerto her breast.
"You need not fear us," were the reassuring words.
"The soldiers came," she said slowly. "They had already killedthe others. They would have killed me."
"The soldiers?"
"Yes. They were looking for my husband. They said he was hiddenin the house; but he was not. He is with Gen. Carranza."
"When was this?"
"Yesterday. I have been in the mountains all night. There was afight a few minutes ago and I saw them pass. Then I came here,when the awful beast sprang out," and again she drew the child toher.
"Are you hungry?"
"Si, senor!"
It was the child that answered.
In an instant Billie's hand was in his pack and he held out the_tortillas_, which both mother and child took and ate ravenously.
After their hunger had been appeased, they questioned the womanfurther, telling her they were going to Vera Cruz.
"If you will come with me down the mountain, you can hide in myhouse," she said.
"We don't want to hide," laughed Billie. "We want to get to VeraCruz. However, we'll see you home, if you don't mind."
Without more words the woman led the way, Billie insisting uponcarrying the little girl.
After a walk of more than two hours, the woman stopped in alittle clearing from which a view of the mountainside for milescould be gained.
"There is my house," she said, pointing to the roof of a reallynoble mansion constructed of stone. "But what is that flag I seeon top of it?"
The boys took one good look at it and then they let out a wildyell.
"Hurrah!" they cried. "It's the Stars and Stripes."
"I don't know what it means away out here," said Donald, "butwherever it is it means something. Come on!" and he dashed downthe mountainside, followed by the others.
