by Frank Fowler
CHAPTER XIII.
A NARROW ESCAPE.
Two days later the three boys sat on the verandah of Mr. Black'scommodious house awaiting the call to breakfast. Under escort ofCaptain Lopez' men they had crossed the valley between Mr.Black's and Gen. Blanco's the day after the night attack and hadspent the time since in getting a much needed rest.
"It's less than four days since we left the City of Mexico,"remarked Donald, "but it seems like a month. I wonder how mattersstand at Vera Cruz?"
"From that telegram from Gen. Maas, that we took from thelieutenant, Admiral Fletcher may have taken the city," saidBillie.
"I hope not," from Adrian.
"Why?" asked both the others.
"'Cause I'd like to be there when it happens."
"Yes, so would I," echoed Billie.
"If he has taken it," ventured Donald, "we may have difficultygetting through the Mexican lines."
"Well, the best thing we can do," asserted Adrian, "is to getsomewhere and find out what is going on just as soon as we can."
The call to breakfast interrupted their conversation, but as soonas they were seated at the table, they broached the matter to Mr.Black.
"I expect you are right," he said, "but I'd like to have you staywith me a while. It's mighty lonesome here for Josie and me."
"If we are at war with the Mexicans," remarked Billie, "this willbe an unhealthy place for an American, I imagine. I should thinkyou would want to take your daughter away from here."
"Oh, Josie and I are not afraid, are we, Josie?"
"No indeed, Dad. We are a match for a regiment of Mexicans whenwe are on our own ground."
But in spite of the assertion made by Mr. Black he admitted tothe boys after breakfast when Josie was not present that hewished his daughter was safe in Vera Cruz.
"Why don't you go with us?" asked Adrian. "We should be pleasedto act as an escort."
"Yes," echoed Billie. "We'll see you through."
"I'll tell you what I had thought of doing," said Mr. Black."It's only a good day's ride a-horseback to Moreno. We have manyfriends there with whom I could leave her. If you boys would actas an escort that far you would be no farther from Vera Cruz thanyou are now and I believe you would have a better chance inreaching the port over the Tierra Blanca division than on themain line."
"Whether we would or not," replied Adrian, "we should be glad toact as your escort."
"There is another thing in favor of that route," continued Mr.Black. "The farther we keep from the main line of railroad, theless likely we are to fall in with the Huerta forces. Thesouthern territory as far as Santa Lucrecia is practically in thehands of Carranza."
"From what you say," was Donald's comment, "it is greatly to ouradvantage to do as you wish. Let's consider the matter settledand start at once."
"It's too late in the day to start now," was Mr. Black's reply."We shall wait until to-morrow morning and be on our way bydaylight. I don't want to be riding through the mountains afterdark. There are wild animals that are worse than the soldiers."
"As the Senora Blanco can testify," laughed Billie. "Every time Ithink of what a close shave she had, it gives me a chill."
That afternoon Mr. Black brought out half a dozen horses for theinspection of his guests.
"A day's ride on a strange horse isn't always an easy task," heexplained, "and I thought you might amuse yourself trying these.You can each pick out the one that suits him best."
It was a task which suited the boys better than any they hadundertaken in days, and as they had not only Mr. Black, but Josieand the General's wife for spectators, they were more thanpleased to show their dexterity after true cowboy fashion.
The remainder of the afternoon was therefore spent in riding,throwing the lariat and in shooting, much to the gratification ofMr. Black, who declared he had never seen a better exhibition ofits kind.
As a result of their experience, the boys picked out threemedium-sized horses, which Mr. Black emphatically stated showedtheir good judgment of horse flesh, as completely as their ridinghad proved their horsemanship.
They were all in the saddle early the following morning, Josie'swound having healed sufficiently to permit her to ride withoutdanger.
Early morning in the tropics is the pleasantest time of the day,and although the road from Mr. Black's hacienda to Moreno would takethem from an altitude of over four thousand feet down to about twothousand feet above sea level, they would be sufficiently up inthe mountains to make riding fairly comfortable.
The route chosen took the little party first to the headquartersof the Carranza force operating in that section. They were warmlygreeted by General Dorantes, the commanding officer, whofurnished them with a guard of four men and passes through thelines, "if," he added as he bade them good luck, "you should findit necessary to pass our lines. If my reports are correct, we arein possession of all the territory to the south."
For hours the cavalcade rode on without incident, stopping onlylong enough to partake of a mid-day meal at the hacienda of DonAlvaro Flores, a friend of Mr. Black's. Late in the afternoon,however, when about six miles from their destination, there cameto their ears the sound of heavy firing--of field pieces mingledwith the occasional roll of a machine gun.
They stopped and listened intently.
"Which direction do you make the firing to be?" asked Mr. Blackof the corporal in command of the escort.
"In the direction of Tierra Blanca, sir. It sounds as though ourforces might have been attacked."
"How will that affect our journey?"
"Hard to tell, sir. If we win, as we shall, the enemy may fallback toward Santa Lucrecia, or they may retreat toward Moreno. Ifyou will take my advice, you will halt here until the action isover."
The advice seemed most excellent and the cavalcade came to a haltand the riders dismounted to give themselves a much-needed rest.
The firing lasted something like twenty minutes, then suddenlyceased, with the exception of an occasional "Boom!"
"It sounds as though we had beaten them off," said the corporal.
"Is there any way that we can tell in which direction they haveretreated?"
"Only by a reconnoiter."
"Which is our long suit," declared Billie. "You just stay herewith the guard, Mr. Black, and we three will soon have a report."
Looking to their arms, with which they had been well supplied bytheir host before leaving the hacienda, the boys rode forwardtoward an elevation something like a mile distant. From this theyhoped to get a view of the country.
There was a fairly level road and they dashed along at a goodrate despite their long ride. The horses were as hard as iron andthe boys did not know the meaning of the word tired.
Reaching the top of the hill, they found a space, from which theycould see clear across the valley through which ran the railroadfrom Santa Lucrecia to Vera Cruz. To the right, some miles away,they could see a good-sized little city which their common sensetold them must be Tierra Blanca. To the left, but nearer, was thesmaller town of Moreno, for which they were headed.
Between the two towns, and coming directly toward them, was aband of galloping horsemen, probably one hundred or more innumber.
"Great Scott!" was Billie's ejaculation as he caught sight of thehorsemen, "they're coming right at us."
"I believe you are right," from Donald. "They seem to be on thisvery road."
"What would you take them to be?" was Billie's next question.
"Give it up," replied Donald.
"I'll bet I can make a good guess," said Adrian. "They are aflying column of Huerta cavalry, sent out to test the Carranzalines. They have paid their respects to Tierra Blanca and nowthey are headed for Cordoba."
"They'll never get there," said Billie. "They'll run into GeneralDorante's men."
"But if it's a surprise, they'll cut their way through."
"It's up to us to see that it is not a surprise!" cried Donald."Come on!" and he turned and dashed back the road th
ey had come.
In less than five minutes they were where they had left theircompanions. In another two minutes they had told their story andin another minute the corporal and his men were on their way backtoward General Dorante's headquarters.
"It's only a question of whose horses are the best," said Mr.Black. "And now let us to cover."
Leaving the highway, the Americans turned sharply to the left anddashed for the shelter of a piece of woodland something like ahalf a mile away. Pell-mell they went over rocks and shrubs,regardless of themselves or their horses, and succeeded inreaching the friendly cover just about three minutes before thecavalry came into sight over the hill.
"We're all right now," said Mr. Black, "if the troopers willstick to the road, but if they should take it into their heads toscatter, we might have trouble."
With eager eyes the boys watched the oncoming horsemen, preparedto flee for their lives if they should be discovered, as theyrealized how useless would be any resistance.
Nearer and nearer they came until the leaders were at the veryspot they had just left, and then with a rush they passed by,turning neither to the right nor to the left.
Every one in the party heaved a deep sigh of relief.
"It's a wonder some of them didn't stop," said Billie.
"Oh, I don't know," laughed Adrian. "Look yonder," and he pointedto the brow of the hill, where another, but much smaller body ofhorsemen had appeared. "They evidently didn't intend to havetheir mission interfered with by fighting a rear-guard skirmish."
"I think the best thing we can do," said Mr. Black, "is tosurrender ourselves to the pursuers. They are evidentlyCarranzistas and our passes will protect us."
Breaking off a piece of bamboo, Mr. Black tied a handkerchief toit and raising it above his head the little party rode out of thewoods. They were sighted at once and a party of horsemen dashedtoward them, and surrounded them.
It was as they had expected and Gen. Dorantes' passes wereimmediately recognized by the officer in command. He was muchpleased at the information given him concerning the corporal andthanked the boys in the name of Gen. Carranza for their goodoffices. He furthermore detached an escort of a dozen men to seethat they reached Moreno in safety and commended them to the careof the jefe politico, with the verbal instruction that the boysbe allowed to proceed on their way to Vera Cruz at their will.