"Who has money to throw away on such as she?" asked the commander, witha shrug of his shoulders.
"I will pay her," went on the professor. "See," he went on, taking outsome bank-notes. "Tell us where Vasco went and you shall have fiftydollars."
The old woman glanced at the money, looked around on the soldiers andglared at the captain, who was switching a cruel whip. Then she said,sullenly:
"I will tell you, senor, but not for money. It is because you had a kindthought for old Julia. Listen, Vasco has gone to the cave by the smallmountain."
"I know where that is!" exclaimed the captain. "Many a time have we hadfights there with the brigands. It is about ten miles off."
"Then let us hurry there!" cried Jerry.
The professor handed the old woman the bills. She took them, hiding themquickly in her dress.
"The whip would have been cheaper," said the captain, with a regretfulsigh. "It is money thrown away."
"I have more to throw after it, if you and your men rescue the kidnappedboy!" exclaimed the naturalist, for he understood something of theMexican character.
"Good!" cried the captain. "Come, men, hurry! We will wipe the brigandsfrom the face of the earth!"
Indeed, new enthusiasm seemed to be infused into the soldiers at themention of money. Those who had dismounted, sprang quickly to thesaddles, the bugler blew a lively air, and the troops started off at asmart trot. Old Julia was left behind in the camp of the kidnappers.
The boys and the professor, with Maximina, in the automobile, followedthe troopers.
"I think there will be one big fight," said the girl, in English,speaking to the boys. "Vasco has many guns in the cave."
"I hope it will be his last fight," said Ned. "I don't wish any one badluck, but I would like to see Vasco Bilette and his gang put where theycan do no more harm."
"The soldiers don't seem to take this very seriously," remarked Jerry."Hear them singing and laughing."
"They probably want Vasco to know they are coming, so they will nottake him by surprise," spoke the professor. "It's a trait of Mexicanpoliteness, I suppose."
The captain of the troop came riding back to the automobile, which hadkept in the rear of the horsemen.
"My compliments, senor," said the commander, bowing with a sweep of hishelmet to the professor.
"My best regards to you," replied the naturalist.
"We will be up to the vicinity of the cave in about an hour," went onthe captain. "Is it your desire to charge in the fire-wagon with mytroopers, or do you prefer to stay in the rear and watch us dispose ofthis brigand?"
"We're not the ones to stay in the rear when there's fighting to bedone," said the professor. "You will find us in the fore, Senor Captain."
"Very good; but what about the girl?"
"I will stay with my friends," replied Maximina. "I am not afraid ofVasco Bilette."
"You may stay with us," consented the naturalist, "but I must insist onyou getting down on the bottom of the car when the fighting begins."
"Fighting? There will be no fighting," said the captain.
"Aren't you going to tackle the brigands and get Bob?" asked Jerry, insome surprise.
"_Caramba!_ The dogs will run when they see my troops," spoke thecaptain, puffing out his chest. "They will not stand. That is why I saidthere would be no fighting."
"I wouldn't be too sure," remarked the professor.
"You shall see, senor," went on the commander. "But now I must go backto my men. My compliments, senor."
"Mine to you," responded the professor, not to be outdone in politeness.
The cavalcade moved forward for several miles. It was getting hot andhorses and men began to suffer. It was a relief when a small stream wasreached, where every one could get a refreshing drink. After a shortrest the command to move forward was given.
"What is that?" cried Jerry, suddenly, pointing ahead to where, on abroad, level stretch of country, several small, dark, moving objectscould be seen.
"I will tell you directly," said the professor, taking a pair offield-glasses from their case. He leveled the binoculars and gazedsteadily through them.
"It is Vasco and his party!" he cried. "I can see Noddy in his auto, andthere are a number of horsemen. They have not yet reached the cave.Quick, Jerry, run the machine ahead and tell the captain!"
Jerry increased the speed of the auto. It ran up beside the troopercaptain, who turned about to see what was up.
"There are the brigands!" exclaimed the professor, pointing ahead."Hurry up and you can catch them before they get to the cave, where theymay barricade themselves."
"My compliments, senor; I thank you for the information," replied thecaptain, bowing low. "Will you not smoke a cigarette with me?"
"I don't smoke!" snapped the professor. "Besides, we have no time forthat now. We must fight!"
"Exactly, just so," answered the easy-going Mexican. "Come, men!" heexclaimed. "The enemy is in front of you! At them, and show what stuffyou are made of! Bugler, sound the charge!"
Instantly the troops were full of excitement. Men began unslinging theircarbines. They got out their ammunition and seemed eager for the fray.The bugler blew a merry blast.
"Forward, my brave men! Cut down the brigands! Kill the kidnappers ofboys!" shouted the captain, waving his sword.
With a shout, the Mexican soldiers dashed forward to the fight. Theymight be slow, and given to too much delay and politeness, but when thetime came they were full of action.
They yelled as they dug spurs into their horses, and the more excitedthrew their hats into the air. Several discharged their carbines whenthere was no chance of hitting any of the enemy. They were wild at thethought of battle.
By this time the brigands became aware of the pursuit. Vasco Bilettehad, with a powerful field-glass, detected the advance of the horsemensome time back. But an accident to the auto had detained them, and theywere three miles from the cave when he saw the soldiers dashing towardhim.
He and his men strained every nerve, but they soon saw they could notget to their stronghold ahead of their enemies.
"We'll have to fight 'em," said Vasco. "I guess we can give 'em as goodas they send. Noddy and Dalsett, you keep an eye on Bob, and if youget a chance, skip off with him. Go back to camp; they won't think oflooking for you there."
Ten minutes later the soldiers were within shooting distance. Theyopened fire on the Mexicans, who, not daunted by the numbers againstthem, returned the volleys. At first so great was the excitement thatno damage was done. But after a few rounds two of the troopers wereinjured, and one of the Mexicans had to withdraw, seriously wounded.
"We must never surrender!" cried Vasco.
"Exterminate the brigands!" shouted the soldiers.
They came to closer quarters. The soldiers began to use their carbinesfor clubs, not taking the time to reload. Then they drew their sabresand charged the Mexicans under Vasco, who had drawn his force up in ahollow square. Several on both sides were killed in this melee.
The boys and the professor, who, under the captain's later orders, hadkept to the rear, now came dashing up in the automobile. Maximina waslying down on the floor of the tonneau, out of harm's way.
Jerry was keeping an eye on Noddy and his auto, and he noticed that themachine, which, as he could see plainly now, held Bob, kept well behindthe brigands.
"We must get Bob, no matter what happens," said Jerry to Ned. "Looksharp now. I'm going to try something."
"What is it?" asked Ned.
"Just you watch!" exclaimed Jerry. "Look out!"
He ducked, to avoid a bullet that sang over his head.
"What's the use of doing that?" asked Ned. "The bullet is past when youhear it sing."
"Can't help it," replied Jerry.
The fighting was now at its height. Though the force on both sides wassmall, the guns kept up a continuous fusillade, and it sounded as thougha good-sized detachment was going into action.
"No quarter! Not
a man must escape!" cried the captain.
"Charge!" yelled Vasco Bilette, trying to urge his men to make a rushand overwhelm the soldiers. "Charge and the day is won!"
With a shout, his men prepared to obey his command.
"Now is your chance!" whispered the brigand leader to Noddy. "Away withBob!"
Noddy headed the machine, containing the bound captive, off to one side.
"There he goes!" Jerry shouted, catching sight of the movement. "We musttake after him, Ned. Noddy has Bob with him."
CHAPTER XXX.
HOMEWARD BOUND.
Steering to one side, to avoid running into the mass of men, soldiersand kidnappers that seemed to be mixed up in inextricable confusion,Jerry sent his machine after Noddy's, which was speeding away.
"Shall I try a shot at the tires?" asked Ned, fingering his revolver.
"No; you might hit Bob," replied Jerry. "I'll catch him."
The battle was now divided. On one side the soldiers and the Mexicanswere fighting. On the other was the race between the two autos; acontest of machinery.
At first it seemed that Noddy would escape. But Jerry, throwing in thehigh-speed clutch, cut down the distance between his car and Noddy's. Afew minutes after the chase started it became evident that Jerry wouldwin.
Vasco, seeing how matters were likely to go, had jumped into the car asNoddy started off. All this while poor Bob was bound, and the cloak wasstill about his head, so he could not tell what was going on. But heguessed it was some attempt to rescue him.
Nearer and nearer came Jerry's auto. The front wheels overlapped therear ones of Noddy's machine.
"Stop, or I'll fire!" cried the professor, suddenly, leveling a revolverat Noddy's crowd. They paid no heed to him.
With a quick motion, Vasco leaned over the edge of the seat and firedthree times in rapid succession at the tires of Jerry's machine. Hemissed his aim, but Jerry saw the danger that threatened him. Heincreased his speed.
In another minute he had come up alongside of Noddy's auto.
"Get ready to grab Bob!" Jerry yelled to Ned and the professor. "Thenhold on tight!"
"I'll pay you for this!" exclaimed Vasco, fiercely. He leaned over theedge of the car and made a vicious lunge at Jerry with a long knife.Jerry swerved his machine the least bit and avoided the blow.
The next instant the autos came together with a crash. The shock threwVasco out, for he was already leaning more than half way over the sidedoor, in an endeavor to strike at Jerry. The wheels of the heavy machinepassed over his legs, making him a cripple for life.
Seeing how matters were likely to turn out, Noddy shut off the power andbrought his machine to a stop. Ned and the professor took advantage ofthis to reach over and grab Bob.
"Now we haf rescue him!" exclaimed Maximina. "I knew we would haf foundBob!" and she laughed and cried by turns.
It did not take long to loosen the captive's bonds. The suffocatingshawl was taken from his head. Poor Bob was faint and white.
"We'll soon fix him up!" cried the professor, cheerily. "Run to oneside, Jerry."
Leaving the discomfited Noddy and his chum, Jack Pender, Jerry steeredoff under a clump of trees, where, by the administrations of theprofessor, Bob was soon himself again.
Meanwhile, the battle between the brigands and the troops was wagingfuriously. Several had fallen on both sides, but the better-trainedsoldiers knew more about warfare, and slowly but surely they pressedtheir enemies back.
Then, when Vasco fell and was crushed by the auto, the men lost heart.They faltered, wavered and then turned and fled.
Dalsett endeavored to rally them. He caught hold of some of the brigandsand urged them to stand against the charge of the soldiers. One of thekidnappers resented Dalsett's interference. With a wild cry he plunged aknife into the former miner, and Dalsett fell, seriously wounded.
"They fly! They fly! Take after them!" cried the captain of thetroopers. "At them, my brave men! Hew them down! Wipe them off the faceof the earth!"
It was noticeable that as the tide turned in favor of the soldiers theirleader became more bold. He rode hither and thither, waving his sword,but taking care not to get too far to the front.
At length, with a last volley, the brigands fled. The troopers tookafter them, killing several and wounding some. They chased them untilthe kidnappers came to the foothills, and, as this was a wild country,the troopers did not care to follow. So some of the brigands escaped.But the band was broken up and for many years thereafter no trouble wasexperienced with them.
Noddy had not started up his machine after Vasco had been knocked fromit. The former bully seemed to be in a sort of daze, and he and Pendersat staring at the exciting scenes going on all about them.
When Bob had been made comfortable on a bed of blankets spread under thetrees, Jerry thought of their former enemy.
"What had we better do about Noddy?" he asked of the professor. "Therehe sits in his machine. Shall we turn him over to the soldiers?"
"I don't know but what it would be a good idea," said the naturalist."Just have an eye to him for a few minutes, anyhow. The captain will behere in a little while, and he'll decide what to do. I suppose the lawmust take its course."
Seeing that Bob was doing very well under the care of Maximina and theprofessor, Ned and Jerry ran their machine over to where Noddy was.
"Don't give me up!" pleaded Nixon. "I didn't mean to do any harm. Itwas all Dalsett and Vasco. See, here is your money-belt, Jerry. I nevertouched a cent of it."
"So it was you who took it, eh?" spoke Ned.
"No--no--I didn't steal it. Dalsett made me take it that night,"faltered Noddy. "But I never took any money out of it. I used my own.Please let me go!"
"You are a prisoner of the captain, not one of ours," replied Jerry."He'll have to settle your case."
At that instant the captain, who, with his men, had ridden to whereVasco was stretched out on the ground, called to Jerry and Ned. Theyturned the machine toward him.
The professor, too, came running over. The captain spoke some commandto one of his men, who began a search of the clothing of the kidnapperleader.
"Ha! There is something!" exclaimed the captain, as his man hauled twomoney-belts out of Vasco's pocket. "I wonder whom they belong to?"
"One's mine!" cried Ned.
"And the other is Bob's," said Jerry. "I wonder if there is any moneyleft in them?"
"Look," said the captain, passing them over. The boys and the professor,who had translated the captain's remarks as he had made them, lookedover the articles. They found that about half the sum in each belt hadbeen spent.
"Well, half a loaf is better than no bread," remarked Jerry. "We oughtto be thankful we're alive, to say nothing of getting part of our cashback."
"You all seem to have plenty of money; you are not like the poorMexicans," said the captain, with a sigh, looking at the professor,meaningly.
"That reminds me: I promised to reward you and your men if we weresuccessful," spoke the naturalist.
He distributed a good-sized sum among the soldiers, who seemed verypleased to get it. Their salaries under the government were small, andnot always paid regularly, so that any addition was welcome.
"What's that?" asked the captain, suddenly, as he shoved his share ofthe distribution in his pocket.
"It's Noddy and Pender in their auto," said Jerry. "They are going toescape."
"Shall we fire at them?" asked the captain, eagerly.
"What's the use?" asked Jerry. "Let them go. We would only have morebother if we tried to get them punished by law for their crimes. We haveBob back, we discovered the underground city, and what more do we want?"
"Nothing, excepting to get back home," put in Ned. "I'll be glad to seeCresville again."
So no attempt was made to capture Noddy and his chum, and they sped offacross-country in their machine, running at top speed, as if they fearedpursuit. Bill Berry, slightly wounded, went with them.
"Is there anything m
ore we can do for you?" asked the captain. "If thereis not we will start back to the garrison, as it is growing late."
The professor said he thought they could dispense with the services ofthe troops. So, amid a chorus of good-byes, the horsemen rode away.
"Well, here we are, all together once more," observed the professor.
"And with an addition to our party," put in Ned, pointing to Maximina.
"That's so; we must get her back home next," the professor said.
"First, give me something to eat and drink," begged Bob. "I'm almoststarved."
It was so near night that the travelers decided to make a camp. Supperwas soon ready, and after it had been disposed of, the boys made a smalltent out of blankets for Maximina.
The next morning they started northward. Maximina had told them she hadrelatives in the City of Mexico, and they headed for that place. Theyreached it, without having any accidents, a week later, and left thegirl who had befriended Bob with her friends.
"I wonder if we'll have any more adventures?" said Ned, as, after a fewdays' rest, they started from the City of Mexico toward home.
"Hard to say, but probably you boys will," said the professor. "Boys arealways having adventures. As for me, I am satisfied with those we hadon this trip. We had the most excellent success. My name will be famouswhen the story of the underground city is told in four large volumeswhich I intend to issue."
"I would think it might," commented Ned. "Four books are enough to makeany one famous."
"Well, it will take some long letters to tell our folks of all that hashappened to us," put in Bob. Telegrams had already been sent, so thatnobody at home might worry further.
The Motor Boys in Mexico; Or, The Secret of the Buried City Page 15