by Frank Fowler
CHAPTER XIV.
APRIL TWENTY-ONE.
"Boys," said Mr. Black the following morning as they werepreparing to pay a visit to the jefe politico, "I want you to dome a favor."
The boys looked at him in surprise.
"Well, what is it?" asked Donald, when Mr. Black did notimmediately continue.
"I want you to accept, as a mark of my appreciation of yourbravery and good services, the horses upon which you are mountedand the accoutrements."
The look of surprise on the faces of the boys deepened.
"I am sure, sir," replied Donald, speaking for the others, "weshould be pleased to accept them if we were expecting to remainin the country. We hope, however, to leave Vera Cruz in a veryfew days."
"Boys," and Mr. Black's face was most serious, "there is noknowing when you will reach Vera Cruz; much less leave it."
"What do you mean?" from Billie.
"I had a long talk with my friend, Don Ramon, last night afteryou were in bed and he tells me that the railroad between hereand Vera Cruz is in the hands of Gen. Maas, the other side ofGuayabo, and there is almost no chance of your being allowed topass through the lines."
"Why not?" from Adrian.
"Well, you see, since we have heard anything, relations betweenthe two countries have become more and more strained and theUnited States has practically declared a blockade on Vera Cruz.The entire Atlantic fleet is assembled outside and there isliable to be a clash at any time."
"Then we'll accept the horses, Mr. Black," spoke up Donald, "andwe'll ride to Vera Cruz. It can't be more than fifty miles."
"Forty-six by rail," said Mr. Black. "I kind of thought you mightlike to try and make it, is why I want to give you the horses,"and the speaker smiled knowingly.
"The sooner we start the better, I expect," said Adrian.
"Yes; after you pay your respects to the mayor."
The foregoing conversation explains how it happened that on themorning of April 21, 1914, the Broncho Rider Boys looked downfrom a little hill, the top of which was covered by tropicalfoliage, upon the harbor of Vera Cruz, with the American fleet inthe offing.
By a circuitous route and by two nights of riding, hiding in theday, the boys had reached this spot about an hour after sunrise.
"Whew!" was Billie's exclamation as he looked out across theharbor at the men-of-war flying the American flag. "There's abunch of them, isn't there?"
"Sure is," from Adrian, "and they look peaceable, too."
"You never can tell by the looks of a toad how far it will jump,"laughed Donald. "But peaceable or warlike, I'd like mighty wellto be on board one of them."
"Here, too," from Billie. "I wonder how we're going to make it."
"How would it do for one of us to try and get into town and findthe American consul?" queried Adrian.
"Fine," from Donald, "if he succeeded; but bad if he did not."
"Then what had we better do?"
"Give it up. Suppose we wait here a while and something may turnup."
"I'd like to know what can turn up?" asked Billie.
"I don't know; but I was thinking that one of the ships mighthappen to send a boat ashore for something. If we saw it coming,we could ride quickly into town."
Adrian laughed. "I reckon it would be just as hard to get throughthe Mexican lines then as now. No! I'm going out to reconnoiter."
It was an hour later when he returned.
"I've found a way," he said as he threw himself on the ground andfanned himself vigorously with his hat. "It's down by the waterworks. There are several Americans down there."
"Good," said Billie. "Let's go. I'm getting mighty hungry."
"Now don't be in a rush," cautioned Adrian. "There's a picketbetween here and there. We'll have to ride easy. You put thesaddles on the horses. I'm pretty well tired. I want to tell youit's hot."
Billie was busy with the horses when Don suddenly pointed outtoward the American men-of-war.
"Look!" he exclaimed. "There's something doing."
And sure enough there was.
Out from behind two of the largest vessels there suddenly darteda number of launches loaded with blue-jackets and marines.
In another instant they had headed for the shore, while outbehind them trailed the American flag.
The boys sprang to their feet and watched the approaching boatswith the utmost interest.
"There must be a thousand of them!" exclaimed Billie.
"More than that," said Donald, as his eyes ran over the oncomingboats. "There's nearer fifteen hundred."
"And look there," cried Adrian. "See those two smaller shipsmoving in toward shore."
"What do you suppose they are going to do?" asked Billie, all ina tremor of excitement.
"Looks to me," replied Donald, "like they were going to capturethe town."
"Why, that's war!" from Adrian.
"Well, isn't that what we've been expecting? I wish I knew whatit all means."
As some of the readers may not know what was the cause of theaction it may be explained that a German steamship had arrivedthe night before loaded with arms for Huerta's army. AdmiralFletcher had no right to seize the German ship, so he determinedto seize the port of Vera Cruz. Then if the arms were landed theywould be in the hands of the Americans.
"Well," declared Adrian, "whatever else it means, it meansbusiness."
"Do you suppose the Mexicans will try to prevent the landing?"asked Billie.
"We'll know in a minute, for they are most ashore," said Donald.
Donald was right and in another minute a shot rang out followedby a rattle of musketry.
"Flash! Flash! Bang! Bang!" spoke the howitzers in the foremostof the launches.
Boom! Boom! Boom! came the sound of three guns from the shipnearest the city, which proved to be the _Prairie_.
The crash of the six-inch shells as they struck in the city couldbe heard above the rattle of the rifle fire which had now becomecontinuous.
"It's a sure enough battle," cried Billie. "Come on! Let's godown!" and he flung himself onto his horse.
"What would you do?" cried Donald, seizing Billie's horse by thebridle. "You'd be killed by the fire from our own guns. This isthe best place we could be in while the firing is going on. Assoon as our men have driven the Mexicans out of town, then we cango in."
"But I want to take a hand in the fun," said Billie.
"It's no fun, as you'll find after it's all over. No knowing howmany of our boys are being lost, to say nothing of the Mexicans."
"Look!" cried Adrian, who had not taken his eyes from the scenein the harbor. "There are a couple of other ships going intoaction."
Billie turned at sound of Adrian's words. Sure enough, there cameflashes from more guns, as the _Chester_ and _San Francisco_moved up into striking distance, although at that time the boysdid not know the vessels' names.
"What show will the Mexicans have against those guns!" exclaimedDonald. "They'll be driven out of town in short order."
Once more Donald was right and after some minutes of firing, theboys realized that the rifle fire was becoming less.
"If they retreat, which way do you suppose they will go?" queriedAdrian.
"I was just thinking about that," was Donald's reply. "What doyou think, Billie?"
"I should think along the main line of railroad."
"And I imagine they'll retreat in every direction," said Adrian.
"In which case," advised Donald, "we'd better be prepared to makea dash through."
"Look here," from Billie. "Can't you see that the shots are allaimed at one particular place? I'm sure if we come around by thesouth, we can get in behind our men some way. It's a good dealbetter chance than to stay here to be shot down by the retreatingMexicans."
The others were forced to admit the wisdom of Billie's advice andthey proceeded to follow it.
Mounting their horses, they rapidly retraced their steps for acouple of hundred yards and then headed for the harbor.
"This is no place for us," exclaimed Donald. "Back to the woods."
"I'm afraid it's too late," from Adrian.
"I hate to run for it," was Billie's comment, "but it's the bestwe can do. I have no mind to fall into Mexican hands right now."
He put spurs to his horse and dashed through a little clump oftrees which grew by the way, closely followed by the other two.
They seemed to have done just the right thing and werecongratulating themselves upon their lucky escape, when theyheard horses coming from the other way.
Billie drew his horse up with a sudden turn.
"It looks as though we'd have to fight for it, boys! If we dolet's give a good account of ourselves."
They drew their Winchesters for instant use.
The sound of hoofbeats drew nearer and then there burst intosight from around a turn in the road a sight which caused theboys nearly to fall from their horses with laughter.
Riding on a mule and followed by several peons on burros was theflorid-faced gentleman whom they had met on the train the daythey left the City of Mexico. He was bare-headed and his coattails streamed out in the breeze. He had no saddle and wasclinging onto the mule by grasping him around the neck.
"Help! Help!" he cried as he caught sight of the boys. "Isurrender. I surrender."
Seeing the boys' horses directly in his path, the mule came to asudden stop, with both feet stuck out before him. The result wasthat the florid-faced gentleman, who wished to head a company ofmarines to drive the Mexicans off the earth, shot forward overthe mule's head and landed in a cactus bush.
Now a cactus is not a pleasant thing to sit upon, even when thegreatest care is used; but to be shot into it as from a catapultis more than any one can bear.
With a yell that might have been heard half a mile, had it notbeen for the noise of the guns, the man scrambled to his feet anddarted away down the hill, while the peons stopped at theunexpected sight of the boys.
"Americanos!" they cried, and, tumbling off their burros, fell ontheir knees in abject terror, as though expecting that their endhad come.