CHAPTER XIV.
A GALLOP ON MEXICAN SOIL.
"Hey, Rob, tell me what to do!" Tubby could be heard shouting at the topof his voice, as he kept on hugging his horse about the neck, beingevidently determined not to allow the current to pluck him out of hissaddle, at any rate so long as he could maintain that rigid grip.
Even in that sudden emergency Tubby found himself depending on Rob asusual; and to hear him asking for information, one would believe thatthe young patrol leader knew more about river fords than a dozen nativeguides who had been used to crossing by this means all their lives.
Rob had reached shallow water, and immediately urged his horsedown-stream, in order to come opposite the drifting scout.
"Just keep holding on, and the horse will bring you to land!" he calledout encouragingly. "He is making a plucky fight, and getting in closerall the while. As soon as he strikes bottom it will be all over; so keepyour grip, Tubby."
This the fat scout did; and just as Rob had said, presently the swimminganimal reached a more shallow point, where he could get his footing andmanage to swing in closer than ever. And in another five minutes Tubbyemerged from the river, "looking like a half-drowned rat," as Andyassured him, for streams were dripping from each foot, and he was soakedfrom his waist down.
"Anyway, I had horse sense enough to keep my gun dry," Tubby observed."But what shall I do now, Rob? I'm weighing half a ton, I guess."
"You're not apt to catch cold in this warm air," Rob told him; "and soyou might as well let your duds dry on you. At noon, when we halt for abite, you can open up your bundle and spread your blanket out for thesun to dry. After all, there wasn't any damage done."
"Only to my feelings," Tubby reminded him.
"And they don't count," said Andy, laughing at the recollection of thetragic way in which Tubby had embraced that horse. He had held to itabout as a leech might have clung when applied to the arm of a patientin the old days when they bled sick men.
They at once turned their backs on the Rio Grande, and according towhat Lopez told them, they were not likely to set eyes on the riveragain until their mission had either been successfully carried out, orproven a failure.
Rob took a fond look at the stream. Somehow it seemed to be the verylast link binding them to their home land; for across the running waterlay the good old United States. And they were now on foreign soil, wherethe Starry Flag at present was powerless to protect them from amultitude of perils.
Presently they could see the river no longer, because they were risingover a level stretch of country through which the flood at some time inthe far past had cut a deep channel.
From now on, what was around and before them was to serve fully tooccupy their attention.
When half a dozen miles had been passed over, Rob began to notice thatTubby was not looking as happy as he might; and he feared that the pacewas telling more or less on the stout chum.
"Are we going too fast for you, Tubby?" he called out; and instantly theother tried to look utterly unconcerned, as though he were enjoyinghimself to the utmost.
"What, for me?" he immediately answered, with a ring of indignation inhis voice; though every jump of his horse caused him to shake like amould of jelly. "Well, I should say not! You couldn't move too fast tosuit my mind, Rob. If I had an aeroplane right now you'd see me sailingaway at the rate of a hundred miles an hour, and headed for that sameold town of Chihuahua. Why didn't we think to bring something like thatalong? Aeroplanes may be dangerous things, but then they're a heap morecomfortable than some nags I know!"
No matter how Tubby suffered, he seemed bound not to admit the fact; andknowing his stubborn nature, Rob did not try to show any furthersympathy for him. If things really became too bad, perhaps Tubby wouldconsent to ask them to hold up and let him have a breathing spell. Butat any rate, they were surely putting the miles behind them, and beforenight-time would have made "quite a dent in that journey to the capitalof the State," as Andy said.
Before the middle of the day came, Rob had the guide call a halt, for heknew it was punishment to Tubby to keep this up as they were doing. Thesun was so scorchingly hot that the fat boy seemed very nearly as wetwith perspiration as he had been soaked with river water a littleearlier. But even then he complained at the stop, and told Rob he shouldhave been able to hold out another half-hour or until noon. This causedthe other scouts to exchange winks, and behind their hands tell eachother that for dogged perseverance Tubby surely had them all "beaten amile."
While they rested their mounts and had a cold bite, Tubby was induced toopen his pack and spread out such things as seemed damp, so that whennight came he would not have to lie down under a blanket that gave him achill. Lopez warned the boys that while the day had been very hot, theywould find good reason to wish they had two blankets apiece beforemorning.
"We found that out the time we were down at Panama," said Rob; "though,perhaps, being further north now may make a difference. But Tubby's justgot to have his blanket good and dry, and that goes."
Tubby managed to accomplish this; and as they packed up later on tocontinue their gallop, he told the others that the sun had done thebusiness all right.
Several times during the morning's run the keen-sighted guide haddiscovered moving figures far off. Rob had been thoughtful enough tobring a small but powerful pair of field-glasses, along with many otherthings; and these now came in handy to tell them whether the distantparties were seemingly Federal soldiers or members of Villa's rebel armyforaging for supplies.
"But if Villa's men are holding all the ground between Chihuahua, fromwhich they chased Salazar's forces a little while ago, and Juarez on theriver, why do we need to fear running across any Federal soldiers?" Andywanted to know, when once Lopez, after taking a look through theglasses, declared that he believed the half dozen riders they watchedgoing further away might be men in the uniform of Mexican regulars.
"Generally speaking, they do hold this territory, which mostly used tobelong to the wealthy Terrazas family," Rob explained; "but reports havecome in that several bodies of mounted regulars were dispatched fromOjinaga, where half a dozen generals and their men are fortifying theirpositions to make a stubborn stand against the rebels. These raidershave orders to cut the telegraph lines, and destroy all the bridgesthey can between Chihuahua and the border on both lines of railroad. Andso you see, we are apt to run across one of these flying columns at anyold time. That is what the good general warned me to look out for;because, of course, we have more to fear from Salazar's men than fromthe rebels."
"Ginger snaps and pop-guns! I should say we had," exclaimed Tubby, "whenwe remember what precious document--er, I mean how much we want to seeGeneral Villa!"
Rob had not thought it wise to tell everything to the guide until theycame to know him better; and hence his frown and vigorous shake of thehead toward the talkative Tubby, when the other came within an ace of"letting the cat out of the bag."
They did not ride quite so fast during the afternoon, all on Tubby'saccount, though no one dared let him know that, or he would have beenvery angry. As the day began to wane, and they seemed to be in a part ofthe wild country free from either rebels or Government troops, Robsuggested that they come to a halt and go into camp.
"We must have made as much as forty miles and more since morning, and sobe that much nearer Chihuahua," he remarked; "and that's good enough forone day. Perhaps to-morrow we may work closer to the railroad, and tryto get in touch with some of Villa's men, who will take us to him.There's Lopez dismounting, boys, so let's do the same."
Merritt and Andy both grunted as they managed with some difficulty toget out of their saddles, after Rob had set the example. As for Tubby,he seemed to be glued in his seat, for while they saw him make adesperate effort several times, he did not seem able to accomplish aseparation. Finally, with a foolish grin on his face, he beckoned to Robto come nearer.
"I'm afraid you'll have to give me a lift, Rob," he confessed; "fact is,I don't seem able t
o raise either leg, I'm that stiff. That's a goodfeller, just get me started and I'll be all right, sure I will. Andafter I've jumped around a few dozen times I'll be ready to dance ahoedown if you ask me."
But it was noticed that Tubby was unusually quiet all that evening,hardly bothering to move more than to reach out for his share ofsupper; nor did he volunteer to do his part in the cooking. "For whatis the use," he complained, "when we have an experienced guide along wholoves to cook?" And at one time, when Rob leisurely got to his feet andreached for a tin cup, Tubby even had the assurance to call out softlyafter him:
"If so be you're meaning to go to the creek for a drink, Rob, wish you'dfetch a cup of water for me, and thank you!"
The truth of the matter was that ride had been a terrible experience tothe fat scout, and he had suffered much more than anybody suspected. Butby slow degrees he would grow accustomed to the exercise, and perhapseven enjoy life in the saddle before they were done scouring the countryin search of Villa.
Lopez had taken every sort of precaution to avoid having their camp seenby any hostile eyes. In the first place, he had selected for a site aspot that was fairly well screened by dense thickets; it was also in asort of little depression or basin, where the glow of the small firethey had lighted to prepare their meal might not be discovered.
This blaze had been allowed to die out after it had served the purposefor which Lopez had started it; so that as they sat there, talking inlow voices, only the soft starlight looked down upon them.
Tubby was later on discovered to be sound asleep; and as Andy andMerritt admitted feeling pretty drowsy themselves, Rob told them theyhad better get their blankets ready to do duty. He himself fixed that ofTubby, and managed to draw the sleeping scout under it without awakeninghim.
All seemed deathly quiet when Rob lay down to secure some rest. Theguide had assured him that there was no need of their keeping watch,because his horse had been trained by a cowboy to give the alarm if anyenemy came prowling around.
Confident that all would be well, the patrol leader settled himself ascomfortably as was possible, under the conditions, and after some littletime spent in running over in his mind various matters that had aconnection with their mission to Mexico, he fell asleep.
Rob did not know whether it was half an hour that he had been lost inslumber, or five times that long, when he was rudely disturbed by someone kicking his shins. And at the same time he became conscious of alow whispering voice saying:
"Rob, oh! Rob, are you awake? What under the sun is making that queernoise?"
It was Andy calling; and becoming conscious that there were some strangenoises rising on the night air close by at the same time, Rob raised hishead the better to listen.
Andy's question must have been overheard by Merritt, for he at once letthem know he was awake and on the alert; but as for Tubby, he onlywheezed, and breathed harder than ever; for he was a thousand miles awayin his dreams.
Boy Scouts Under Fire in Mexico Page 14
