"Hurrah for me!" he shouted. "I am all right now. I'd like to see somebody try to take you away from me again, old fellow. Hallo, here!"

A horse interrupted Frank's soliloquy--a little black horse, which galloped by almost within reach of him, and disappeared in the darkness outside the gate. He was in sight long enough for Frank to see that he carried two men on his back, one being seated in the saddle, and the other hanging helplessly across the pommel. The horse was King James; the man in the saddle was Pierre Costello; and the other was Archie Winters.

The cousins had left Pierre bound hand and foot in one of the underground rooms of the rancho; but he did not remain there long, for the herdsmen, from whom the boys had so narrowly escaped, soon cut down the door and released him. Pierre explained matters in a few words, by saying that the boys had taken him unawares, and made a prisoner of him; but he forgot to mention the fact that they had caught him almost in the act of murdering Don Carlos.

Pierre, finding himself once more at liberty, ran frantically about the rancho, up stairs and down, searching every-where for the boys. He found one of them at last, and it was Archie, who had been captured on the roof of the wing, and was being carried below. From the men who had him in charge, Pierre learned that Frank had again escaped, and that the Don had been pulled over the parapet. He was greatly excited over the news. He did not give a second thought to the old Spaniard's misfortune--he did not care if the fall had broken his neck--but he was highly disgusted and enraged to learn that Frank had once more slipped through his fingers. He a.s.sisted his companions in disposing of their prisoner, and, when the latter had been locked up, Pierre managed to retain possession of the keys. It was his intention to go out with the others, and a.s.sist in recapturing Frank; but if that could not be done--if Frank succeeded in eluding them--he would take Archie to the mountains in his place. Pierre thought this a decided improvement on his old programme. Archie was not so large and strong as his cousin, and consequently he could be more easily managed. He would also bring the same amount of money in the shape of a ransom.

Pierre hurried to the court, and, when he arrived there, what was his amazement to find it filled with settlers! He did not stop to take a second look, but returned with all possible haste to the room in which Archie was confined. Lifting him in his arms as if he had been an infant, Pierre ran back to the court, and the first object that met his eyes was Archie's horse. To his infinite delight the animal did not attempt to elude him; and when he had swung himself into the saddle, and pulled his prisoner up in front of him, he began to believe that his plans might, after all, prove successful. There was only one person in all that crowd who saw him as he dashed through the gate, and that was Frank Nelson. Pierre knew that some one was watching him, for he heard a loud command to halt, followed by the angry bark of a dog, and a clatter of hoofs behind him. He looked over his shoulder, and began to lose heart again. He knew, if Archie did not, that Roderick was a better horse than the one he was riding; and that as long as Marmion was on his trail, he could not hope to elude his pursuer. But he did not stop. He kept straight on toward the woods, and a few rods behind him came the swift mustang, bounding along as easily as though he had been furnished with wings.

During the race that followed, nothing but the clatter of the horses'

hoofs, and an occasional angry yelp from Marmion, broke the stillness of the night. Across the prairie went pursuer and pursued at furious speed, into the woods, over logs and rocks, up hill and down, through darkness so intense that one could scarcely see his hand before him, and finally Frank began to wonder at the endurance exhibited by the little black under his double load. But the furious pace was telling on him, and with all the whipping and spurring he received, he could not prevent the mustang from overtaking him. Pierre saw this, and hastily drawing rein, prepared to carry out a plan he had determined upon.

"Stop where you are!" he exclaimed, in a most savage tone of voice.

"If you advance another step"----

The robber was about to say that if Frank came any nearer he would bury his knife in Archie's body; but Marmion did not give him time to finish the sentence. He sprang straight at his throat, and, before Pierre could think of resistance, he was flat on the ground.

"Hold fast to him, old fellow!" shouted Frank, dismounting from his horse. "That makes amends for the cowardly manner in which you deserted me this morning. Archie, where are you?"

"Here's all that's left of me," replied a faint voice. "O, my head!"

groaned Archie, as Frank knelt down by his side, and cut the ropes with which he was bound. "There's no fun in being carried with railroad speed through a thick woods on a dark night like this. But I want you to understand one thing: That wasn't a fair race, because my horse had a double load to carry."

Frank had been astonished a good many times that night, but he was utterly amazed, now. Here was Archie, who was aching in every limb, and bleeding profusely from the wounds he had received during his rapid ride through the woods--who, during the last few hours, had been the hero of more hair-breadth escapes than had ever before fallen to the lot of a boy of his age--who had but just been delivered from the power of a reckless and determined foe--here he was talking about the speed of his horse, and declaring that the race the animal had just run was not a fair test of his abilities!

"This is a pretty time to talk about such things, isn't it?" asked Frank. "I suppose you hoped that Roderick would be beaten, didn't you?"

"I can't say that I did," replied Archie, as his cousin lifted him to his feet; "but I could not help telling myself that if Pierre wanted to save himself, all he had to do was to drop me overboard, and he would leave you behind so rapidly that you would never boast of Roderick's speed again."

(We may here remark that the question of the relative merits of the two horses remained for a long time undecided; but still it was settled, at last, and to the satisfaction of both the boys. It was an exciting race, and a long one; and the history of it shall be given in its proper place.)

Archie, in spite of his wounds and bruises, was as lively and plucky as ever. One desire was uppermost in his mind, now, and that was to effect the capture of the robber; but he need not have troubled himself on that score, for Pierre had already been secured. When the cousins reached the place where he was lying, they found him motionless and helpless, Marmion's powerful jaws being closed upon his throat. The dog barked and whined furiously when compelled to let go his hold, and it was all his master could do to prevent him from again attacking his enemy.

"Santa Maria!" gasped the robber, when he found himself free from the teeth of the dog.

"That's what I say," exclaimed Archie, who, having removed Pierre's sash from his waist, proceeded to confine his hands and feet. "I think you are at the end of your rope now, my hearty. You may make up your mind to start for your old quarters at San Diego, to-morrow morning, by the early train. What shall we do with him?"

"We'll leave him here until we can procure a.s.sistance, and come back for him," replied Frank. "Now, let's start for home."

But for one thing, Frank and Archie would have been two of the happiest boys that ever existed. Their wounds, their aching bones, the dangers they had pa.s.sed through, were all forgotten in the joy they felt at finding themselves once more in undisputed possession of their long-lost horses. They had much to talk about as they rode toward the rancho. Archie told Frank what had happened to him during his short captivity, and plumed himself on having been in the very midst of his enemies for more than seven hours (it was then long after midnight), and having made one prisoner alone and unaided, and a.s.sisted in capturing two more before he fell into the hands of his enemies. As for the misfortune that had befallen their old friend d.i.c.k Lewis, Archie declared that it did not trouble him in the least, for he knew his cousin had been mistaken; and Frank, ready to catch at straws, said he certainly hoped it would turn out so.

After a fifteen minutes' ride, the boys once more found themselves in the rancho, and this time with no fear of being made prisoners. The fight was over, and the settlers were in full possession of the robbers' stronghold. They were in a state of great excitement and alarm, however, for they had ransacked the building from top to bottom, without discovering any signs of Frank and Archie; and they were on the point of abandoning the search in despair, when the boys appeared. The settlers crowded about them as they rode into the court, shook them warmly by the hand, asked them a mult.i.tude of questions, and cheered them uproariously. Presently, two tall fellows, dressed in Mexican costume, and carrying long rifles in their hands, elbowed their way through the crowd. One was old Bob Kelly--the cousins would have recognized his long, white beard any where--but who was the other? They had seen those broad shoulders and that rifle before, but they could not tell who the man was, for his face was so badly battered and scarred that his own mother, if she had been there, would not have known him. He did not offer to shake hands with the boys, but dropped the b.u.t.t of his rifle to the ground, clasped his fingers over the muzzle of the weapon, and said:

"You amazin' keerless fellers! I knowed this mornin' that it was my bounden duty to give you a good trouncin'."

"What did I tell you?" screamed Archie, turning triumphantly to his cousin, who opened his mouth and eyes, and gazed at the man in stupid bewilderment.

CHAPTER XVII.

CONCLUSION.

"I reckon you don't speak to common fellers any more," continued d.i.c.k, for it was he, notwithstanding that Frank had told his cousin, in such positive language, that he had seen him pulled down and strangled on the prairie. "You needn't be so tuk back, youngster, 'cause it's me, an' 'taint n.o.body else."

During the next few minutes the settlers, who were standing around, gained some idea of the strength of the affection the boys cherished for the trapper. They threw themselves from their saddles and actually embraced him; and while they remained at the rancho, they kept close at his side, clinging to his arms as though they were afraid some one might try to take him away from them.

"Why, d.i.c.k," said Frank, as soon as he could speak, "I never expected to see you again."

"Youngster," replied the trapper--and, as he spoke, he drew himself up to his full height, extended his long arms above his head, and doubled up a pair of fists which looked as though they might have knocked down an ox--"we don't look fur nothing else--me an' ole Bob don't--but to have our har riz by the Injuns some day; but you'll never hear tell of one of us bein' rubbed out by Greasers--mark that. Now, I've had more 'n one of them ar lariats over my head, but I never had one around my neck yet, an' I never will. When I fight Mexikins, I allers look out fur them la.s.sos, an' when that feller slipped his'n over my head, I was ready fur him. I cut it with my knife quicker'n he could say 'Gin'ral Jackson,' with his mouth open. As I riz to my feet, I see that the other feller was purty clost to me, an' I knocked him out of his saddle with my tomahawk, as clean as a whistle. Thar wasn't but one left then, an' he wasn't no 'count, fur his la.s.so was ruined; an', without that we'pon, a Mexikin aint a thing fur a ten year ole boy to be afeared of. He tuk to his heels, an' so did I; an' here I am."

To Archie, who had fully expected to see the trapper again, alive and well, this story of his escape seemed probable enough; but to Frank, who had seen him, as he believed, powerless in the midst of his enemies, it seemed almost incredible. Many a time, during the next three or four days, it was noticed that he earnestly regarded the trapper as if he had not quite made up his mind that he was the genuine d.i.c.k Lewis after all.

"I say, youngsters," said Bob, when the trapper ceased speaking, "I've found out what it was that skeered me so bad, that night."

"An' he was skeered at jest nothing at all," exclaimed d.i.c.k. "I reckon the ole feller feels the least bit ashamed of himself. If he don't, he had oughter."

The trappers, followed by the boys and a few of the settlers, led the way to a recess in the wall opposite the gate. The only articles in this recess that attracted the attention of the cousins, were a huge roll of canvas, and a post which supported a locomotive lamp. The face of this lamp was not turned toward the court, but outward, toward the wall.

"I told you, youngsters," said d.i.c.k, "that the walls of this yere rancho are five foot thick; and so they be, in every place except this. Right thar is a door. It can't be seed from the outside, nor from the inside, nuther; but it's thar."

Frank knew there was a door somewhere about there, for he had followed the settlers through it; but he could not tell where it was now, for the wall appeared to be as solid there as any where else. The trapper knew where to look for it, however, and when he placed his hands upon the wall, one of the stones began to move. One end moved outward, and the other inward, showing that the stone worked upon a pivot in the center. The opening thus made was about six feet long, and a foot high.

"Humph!" exclaimed Archie. "I'd like to see a man on horseback go through that little hole."

"Easy, easy," replied the trapper. "I haint got done yet."

The door was composed of at least a half a dozen stones (one above the other, some longer, and some shorter, in order to "break joints" in the wall), and when they had all been moved from their places, two openings were formed, the stones being in the middle of the doorway, one end pointing toward the creek, and the other toward the court. The s.p.a.ce on each side was amply sufficient to admit of the pa.s.sage of a horseman.

"You know ole Bob said, that arter them two fellers crossed the creek, they rid up the bridge of clouds, an' went through the wall of the rancho," remarked d.i.c.k. "Wal, they didn't, 'cause they went in at the door. Bob swum the creek, an' hunted high an' low fur the door, but couldn't find it; an' that's what skeered him."

From the door, the boys turned their attention to the bundle of canvas before spoken of. It was neatly rolled up, and in the middle was a stick of round wood, to each end of which was fastened a small wheel, with a deep groove in the circ.u.mference. In each of these grooves was a rope, about the size of a clothesline, which was pa.s.sed once around the wheel, and the longer end of which was coiled down on the ground, so that it would run out rapidly. The trappers pushed the canvas outside the door, made the shorter ends of the ropes fast to two rings in the wall, which seemed to have been placed there for that especial purpose, then gave the canvas a push, and it went rolling down the bank toward the creek. When it reached the water's edge it had all run out, and of course it stopped. The strong breeze that was blowing gave to it a gentle undulating motion, and this it was that the old trapper had compared to the "rolling and tumbling of the smoke from the mouth of a cannon." This was the bridge of clouds; and what a simple thing it was to have frightened a man like Bob so badly! The old veteran evidently thought so, for he leaned on his rifle and looked foolish enough. When the settlers had laughed at him to their satisfaction, he and d.i.c.k seized the ropes, and hauling in hand-over-hand, rolled up the canvas without going outside the door.

"Well! well!" exclaimed Archie. "Frank and I watched this thing as closely as ever two cats watched a mouse, and we couldn't begin to see through it. It's all plain enough now; but how about the boat?"

The trapper replied that he would soon show them all about that; and picking up a lantern, led the way into the underground portion of the rancho. After threading numerous pa.s.sage-ways, and turning several corners, he ushered them into an apartment that might have been called the engine-room, for it contained the power that had propelled the flatboat so rapidly. It was not an engine, however, but a windla.s.s, something like those used for moving houses. It was plain that it had been worked by horses, for there were prints of hoofs all over the floor.

The next thing was to find the boat; and that could be easily done by following the rope which was attached to the windla.s.s. The rope led them through a long narrow pa.s.sage-way, and when they arrived at the end of it, d.i.c.k opened a small door, about the height of his head from the floor, and the boys climbed up and found the boat before them. It was snugly hidden in a little cove, which had been dug into the bank, and walled up with stones to prevent it from caving in. The mouth of the cove was so effectually concealed by thick bushes, that a fleet might have sailed along the creek without discovering it. In the bow of the boat was a bundle of canvas, like the one already described, only it was much smaller; and the ropes with which it was rolled up were attached to a horizontal windla.s.s, so that they could be controlled by one man.

The trappers and some of the settlers followed the boys into the boat, and a.s.sisted them in pushing it out of the cove. Frank got out the oar, and sculled it across, and, when it reached the opposite sh.o.r.e, d.i.c.k seized the canvas and ran up the bank with it, the canvas unrolling itself as he went.

"It's all plain enough now," repeated Archie; "but it seems to me that the Don put himself to a good deal of trouble for nothing."

"I think he managed affairs just about right," said one of the settlers. "The object of this canvas is to conceal the trail. When my horses were stolen, I followed them very easily for a while, but lost the scent about a hundred yards from the bank of this creek. That must have been the place where they got on the canvas. Of course they left no more trail, and I couldn't follow them any farther."

"But I don't see why it is necessary to have this boat moved by a windla.s.s," said Frank. "If one man could bring it over here, what's the reason he couldn't take it back?"

"That can also be easily explained," replied the settler. "The current in the creek is so strong that one man can't scull the boat straight across. It makes no difference where he lands on this side, because he brings his canvas with him, and can put it out any where; but the canvas on the other side is stationary, you know, and the boat must be stopped at one particular place, so that the hors.e.m.e.n can get out on it."