by Frank Fowler
CHAPTER XXII.
A RESCUE AND A SURPRISE.
It would be hard to describe Adrian's surprise at the unexpectedevent which closed the preceding chapter. His first thought wasthat a cannon ball had struck the house, but a second thoughtconvinced him that such was not the case. Before he had time tothink further he heard a big voice call out:
"Here he is!"
A moment later Mr. Black burst in through the opening in the walland, picking Adrian up in his arms as though he had been a baby,started on a run with him for the nearest horse.
"There you are!" he exclaimed as he set the boy on the horse."Now to run for it!"
Adrian needed no second bidding, but digging his heels into thehorse's side he dashed away toward the cocoanut grove, his flightbeing protected by the Americans with Billie at their head.
A couple of minutes after, the entire band had rallied in theshelter of the trees, where they stopped to plan for the nextmove.
"How did you ever find me?" asked Adrian as he and Billie peeredout toward the town.
"Mr. Black knew about where he lost you and we tracked you byyour trail. Whoever dragged you into the house, left a trail aswide as your body."
"It was a woman," explained Adrian, "and she was hiding me. Butwhere were you when I whistled for help?"
"That's a long story," was the reply, "which I will tell you whenwe have time; but briefly we were on the other side of the town,where we left the man on guard. It appears that our friend Josewas a first-class traitor."
"As I discovered," said Adrian.
"Yes," continued Billie, "he sent a bunch of soldiers to captureus. The sentry heard them coming and gave the alarm. We went tohis aid and succeeded in rescuing him, but that is what got usinto this trouble."
"And now what?"
"Now we have to get away just as soon as we can."
"Right," said Mr. Black. "There is no enemy in sight at thismoment and the best thing we can do is to run for it. If we cancross the valley safely, we shall have little trouble."
"I'd like to stay and give them a few shots," said the corporal,"but it would probably be unwise."
"I'll tell you what, Brooks," suggested Billie, "suppose you andI remain behind until we see the others well across the valley.If there is any pursuit, we can hold them back for a fewminutes. They will not know how many we are and it will give theothers a chance to escort Mr. Black and his daughter to a placeof safety. You know that is what we really came for."
"Fine!" was the corporal's reply.
Mr. Black and Adrian protested, but they were overruled.
"It's a good idea," said the oldest of the troopers, "and now torun for it."
It was fully five minutes after the others had left that Billieand Brooks saw the Mexican infantry, some fifty in number, emergefrom the town and come slowly toward them.
Looking across the valley, they could perceive that the littleband under the direction of Mr. Black was nearing the protectionof the forest that covered the next hillside.
"Two minutes more and they will be safe," said Billie.
"Then we'll give them the two minutes," replied the corporal."Cut loose at the bunch as soon as it is near enough."
A moment later two rifles spoke out and then they turned loosetheir automatics, to give the impression of a much larger force.
Two men fell and a minute later two more, as the boys'Winchesters again spoke.
"Now for the horses!" cried Billie as the Mexicans threwthemselves upon the ground.
They sprang to their horses and dashed away down the valley.
They were not discovered until they had cleared the shelter ofthe trees and then a volley was fired after them. The bulletssang all around them, but they escaped unhurt, and before anothervolley they were out of range.
"It's a good thing for us that they have no cavalry," said Brooksas they sped along.
"Sure is," was the response, "and I hope they don't succeed ingetting word ahead of us."
"We'll fix that," said Brooks. "We cross the railroad just at thefoot of the hill and I'll climb up and cut the telegraph wires."
"They may have sent word already."
"Hardly. They may have tried to, but it's dollars to doughnutsthat there was nobody at Joachin or Rio Blanco to receive it. Thenearest night operator, I imagine, is at Piedras Negras."
"They may send a force from there to head us off," suggestedBillie.
"That's so; but I'm not sure whether Piedras Negras is held bythe Carranza or the Huerta forces."
"It's a terrible mix-up, isn't it?" laughed Billie. "But I guesseither side would be glad to get us."
They had reached the tracks by this time and a couple of minuteslater Brooks was up a pole and with the aid of his bayonet brokethe wires.
"If it isn't too late, that'll hold 'em for a while," he remarkedas he descended from the pole and mounted his horse.
When they joined the main company, Billie told Mr. Black whatthey had done and repeated to him what Brooks had said.
"I think he is right," said Mr. Black, "and my advice is that weshould give Piedras Negras a wide berth."
"We can't get too far away from the railroad," explained Billie,"or we shall miss Don and his company. They are coming out forjust such an emergency."
They rode rapidly forward for a couple of hours and then, turningsharply off the highway, took to the woods which now grew denseall along the mountain sides.
About ten o'clock they stopped for breakfast and then all took anap until the sun drew near the western horizon.
"We should reach our rendezvous with Don about dark," explainedBillie, "and that would get us into Vera Cruz about daylight."
As they approached the appointed spot, Billie and Adrian, ever onthe alert, noticed almost as one that the place had a changedappearance and mentioned it to the others.
"What do you mean?" asked the corporal.
"I can't exactly explain," was Adrian's reply, "but my prairietraining always warns me to go slow when I sense danger."
"A mighty good idea," muttered one of the troopers, an oldcampaigner who had seen service with Funston in the Philippines."These are slippery chaps."
"If I could walk," was Adrian's comment, "I'd soon find out whatis wrong; but you can't scout on horseback."
The cavalcade came to a halt and the men examined their weaponsto be sure they were in order.
"What do you think we'd better do, Ad?" queried Billie.
"I don't know. How far are we from the rendezvous?"
"Not more than half a mile."
"If it were not for the possibility of making matters worse,"suggested Adrian, "I'd fire a few shots; but of course what wewant is to get into Vera Cruz without a fight. What do you think,Mr. Black?"
"This is new business to me, boys," was the reply. "I'll have toleave it to you."
"What's the matter with my going on a scout?" asked Billie.
"Nothing the matter with your going," laughed Adrian, "but theremight be with your coming back. No, I shall have to go, ankle orno ankle."
He slid from his horse, and almost before any one realized whathe was doing he had slipped away on his hands and knees.
"He is certainly a brave boy," was Josie's remark, "and I hate tothink of his taking all this risk on my account."
"Not so much risk for him as for us, I'm thinking," muttered theold trooper. "They are looking for mounted men--if they'relooking at all--and not for crawling boys."
The old trooper was right, and ten minutes later Adrian returnedto say that there was a small body of horsemen at the next turnof the road.
"Did you see anything of Don?" queried Billie.
"Not a sign."
"That's mighty funny. Where do you suppose he can be?"
"He may be hiding back in the woods, just as we are."
"Well," said the corporal, "now that we know where the greasersare, what's the matter of going forward?"
"No matter at all," replied Adrian. "We can easily be
ar away tothe left and give them the shake, but I don't know what to doabout the others."
"The others will have to look out for themselves," repliedBrooks. "They are able to do it."
The words had hardly left his lips ere there came the sound of asingle shot away to the left.
"There they are!" cried Billie. "Come on!"
The little cavalcade started forward, but ere they had gone adozen rods they could hear the sound of approaching horsemen,crashing through the woods to their right.
"The Mexicans!" said Adrian.
"To cover, every man!" cried the corporal.
A minute later every horse lay flat on the ground with his riderconcealed behind him.