by Frank Fowler
CHAPTER IV.
THE ROSARIO VIEJO.
To be suddenly pitched head-foremost down a rocky declivity intoa mass of prickly pear bushes and other tropical brambles is byno means pleasant; and as a result Billie was not in the best ofhumor when he picked himself up and looked to the top of the60-foot embankment down which he had slid.
"It's a wonder they wouldn't hang out a red light when they dig ahole like this," he declared angrily, "and not let a fellow mostbreak his neck, to say nothing of scratching his eyes out! Thisis worse than a subway cave-in."
He pulled himself together and surveyed his surroundings.
The basin looked very much like an old quarry--so old that theshrubbery on the sides had grown into good-sized trees, and thewhole place was covered with herbage of one sort or another. Inone corner of the excavation, which must have covered some twoacres, there was the ruin of an adobe house, while near thecenter was a stone structure made of four stone pillars abouttwenty feet apart and roofed over with two huge stone slabs, setso as to form a gable roof. Except for its size, it had theappearance of the old-fashioned well houses, which were once socommon in New England.
"It's a tough-looking place, whatever it is," was Billie'scomment. "I wish the fellows were here."
And then for the first time in more than half an hour Billiebethought him of his companions. His strange experience with theape had driven all other thoughts out of his mind.
"By George!" he exclaimed aloud, "I wonder how the fight with thebandits came out?"
Almost as in answer to his words, there appeared upon the edge ofthe excavation into which he had fallen, but upon the oppositeside from that on which he had taken his slide, ten horsemen,three of whom carried across the pommel of their saddles thebodies of three men. They halted and surveyed the basincritically. Then, single file, they slowly descended into thequarry.
Billie recognized them the minute he laid eyes upon them. Theywere the remnant of the bandit band, and the bodies carriedacross the pommels of the saddles were three of their woundedcompanions.
"This is no place for me," commented Billie as he kept himselfwell hidden behind a giant cactus. "It reminds me of Ali Baba andthe forty thieves. I hope I have better luck than Ali Baba."
As though to carry out the trend of Billie's thoughts, thehorsemen halted near the ruin of the adobe house before mentionedand two of their number dismounted and entered. A minute laterthe rest of the band rode into the ruins and disappeared,followed by the riderless horses of the two dismounted men.
Billie rubbed his eyes.
"I wonder if I'm getting dippy," he muttered. "Maybe that crackon the side of my head has made me see things."
He sat down to think.
"If I only had some kind of a gun," he mused, "I wouldn't feel soeverlasting helpless. Confound that ape! If I ever see him againI'll break his neck."
Then, after a moment's thought: "I don't believe the beast wouldgive up the chase. He's likely to show up at any minute.Something has to be done."
The boy scanned the edge of the embankment, if perchance he mightsee anything of his persecutor. There was nothing in sight and hedecided to go on a tour of inspection. As quietly as possible hestole along the side of the excavation toward the spot where theruin stood, when once more he had that sense of being watched.
Turning his head quickly, he saw the ape about twenty paces toone side aiming the revolver at him.
Then Billie lost his temper.
"This thing has got to stop," he exclaimed. "I'll be doggoned ifI'm going to stand for it any longer."
He ran quickly toward the ape, and fell on his knees as he hadseen the ape do, and raised his hands in supplication.
The animal quirked its head and fairly beamed with pleasure as itslowly advanced and stood beside him.
But its simian smile was quickly turned to surprise, for like aflash Billie snatched the weapon from its hand and aimed it atthe animal's head.
"Now," he said, "you come with me."
The animal made no move.
"We'll see whether you will come or not," said Billie, andstooping down he broke off a good-sized sprout from a live oak."Now, march!" and he raised the whip.
It was the one thing needed. The beast had evidently felt thetouch of a whip before, for it raised its arm and danced about asthough going through some circus maneuver.
"The first mystery is solved," laughed Billie. "Now for thesecond one. Come on, Ab," unconsciously naming his companionafter the hero of Stanley Waterloo's famous story.
The ape seemed to know what was wanted and the two proceededslowly and silently toward the ruin.
"I've been in a whole lot of queer scrapes," mused Billie as hecrept along, "but this is surely the queerest--tramping aroundwith an ape to solve the disappearance of ten cutthroats. I hopeI wake up pretty soon."
But it was no dream, as Billie was soon to discover.
Arriving at the ruined building, Billie crawled along by the walluntil he came directly under what had once been a window. Then,after listening a long time and hearing no sound, he ventured toraise his head and peep in.
The old ruin was as empty as though there were not a livingperson within fifty miles.
"Great Scott!" gasped the boy. "What do you think of that! Now Iknow I'm dreaming!"
He turned to the ape, waving his whip.
"Here you, Ab," he said, "go in there and see what you can find."
He pointed to the window and the animal sprang lightly in and aminute later perched itself on one of the decaying rafters.
"If there were any one around, they would certainly see Ab,"reasoned Billie, "and would make some noise about it. I guessit's safe to go in."
He crawled around to the door and entered. There were the tracksof the horses, but the horses had disappeared as completely asthough they had been swallowed up.
Billie called softly to Ab, who did not see fit to obey until hewaved his whip. Then the animal sprang lightly to the ground.Billie showed him the tracks.
"Where do you suppose they went?" he asked.
Ab blinked his eyes and, for the first time since Billie hadbecome acquainted with him, made a noise in his throat, much likethe voice of a child.
Billie smiled in spite of himself.
"I'm glad you've decided to become sociable," he said, "What doyou make of this? You look as though you could think."
Ab blinked his eyes stupidly and then suddenly became alert asthough listening.
"What is it?" asked Billie, impressed by the ape's attitude.
For a reply Ab sprang through the window and made straight forthe structure in the middle of the quarry. In another instant hewas on the roof.
Billie followed as fast as he could and as he stepped beneath theroof started back in the utmost amazement, for up through whatlooked like a huge well there came the distinct sound of humanvoices.
For several seconds he stood as one in a spell and then hestarted forward to peer into the well, but on a second thoughtdid not.
"I couldn't see anything if I did," he thought, "but any onelooking up could see me. I'll do better by listening."
The words came to him almost as distinctly as though he were inthe same room with the speakers, and there was no longer anydoubt that the voices were those of the Zapatistas who hadattempted to rob the train.
From their conversation Billie learned the outcome of the fight,and he was greatly amused at the attempt of the bandits to figureout who had betrayed them. Each one had a different theory, butall agreed that there must have been a traitor in the band. Itwas all the lad could do to prevent himself from calling out tothem, just to see what effect his words would have.
After discovering from the conversation that the bandits feltthemselves perfectly secure where they were and that they werelikely to stay there for some time, he finally decided to getback to the railroad and thence to Pachuca and give the alarm.
Acting upon the decision, he made his way across the basin towhere he h
ad slid down the embankment and slowly and laboriouslyclimbed to the top, followed by Ab.
Retracing his steps, he soon reached the railroad and lookingdown the track toward Pachuca gave a shout of delight as he sawhis three chums approaching, leading a fourth horse between them.
"Just in time," he said, as they drew near enough to exchangegreetings.
"Just in time for what?" queried the others as one.
"To capture the bandits that you let escape."
"How do you know that we let any escape?" asked Adrian.
"I'm a mind reader."
The other three looked incredulous.
"Oh, it's a fact," declared Billie. "I can tell you all about thefight just as well as though I had been there," and he proceededto prove his words.
"Some one told you," said Adrian.
"Sure," laughed Billie, thoroughly enjoying the perplexity ofhis companions. "My friend Ab. Come here, old man, and beintroduced," and Billie waved his whip, which he still carried.
With a little cry the ape sprang to his side, an act which onlyadded to the amazement of the others.
"Allow me," said Billie with mock gravity, "to introduce myfriend Mr. Ab from No-man's-land. Ab, these are the rest of theBroncho Rider Boys. How would you like to join the company?"
Ab scratched his ear and looked wise.
"Oh, come," interrupted Donald. "Tell us what's up and what wemust do to capture the rest of this band of cutthroats."
Thinking that he had carried the joke far enough, and realizingalso that he might be wasting valuable time, Billie related hisadventure, describing the place he had discovered.
"It is the Rosario viejo," said Pedro, as soon as Billie hadfinished his story.
"What's that?" asked Billie.
"An abandoned mine. It is called the old Rosario to distinguishit from the new Rosario, which is now one of the most valuablemines in this region. The station at Pitahaya was builtespecially to serve it."
"I see," said Billie. "Where is the new mine?"
"Down there," and Pedro pointed to a trail leading in theopposite direction. "It is just about as far from the station onthat side of the railroad as the old Rosario is on this."
"Don't you think we had better summon some assistance from themine workers?" asked Adrian.
"They may be in cahoots with the bandits," laughed Donald. "Ihave lost my confidence in about every one in this bandit-riddenland."
"I don't blame you," said Pedro, "and I hope the day will sooncome when all this trouble will be over."
"Then you agree with me that we should tackle the bandits alone,do you?" asked Donald.
"It is the only safe way."
"All right, then," exclaimed Billie. "Let's be off. If we use alittle strategy, I'm sure we shall succeed."
He turned to mount the horse, which a minute before had beenstanding a few feet away, but it was gone.
"Where's my horse?" he cried.
The others turned in surprise.
"It certainly was here a minute ago," declared Adrian.
"Then it can't be very far away," insisted Donald.
"It's so far I can't see it," replied Billie.
"There it goes!" shouted Pedro, who had jumped his mount acrossthe track as soon as he heard Billie's cry.
The others looked in the direction indicated, and sure enough,there went the horse about a quarter of a mile away on a dead runand on its back was Billie's late acquaintance, Ab.
"By George," exclaimed Billie angrily as he snatched a rifle fromDonald's holster, "I've had enough of that ape. I'll put a stopto his foolishness," and he leveled the rifle.
But ere he could press the trigger, there was a report fromanother quarter and the horse and its rider hit the dust.