"I'll tell you what, Brooks," suggested Billie, "suppose you and I remain behind until we see the others well across the valley.

If there is any pursuit, we can hold them back for a few minutes. They will not know how many we are and it will give the others a chance to escort Mr. Black and his daughter to a place of 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 to run for it."

It was fully five minutes after the others had left that Billie and Brooks saw the Mexican infantry, some fifty in number, emerge from the town and come slowly toward them.

Looking across the valley, they could perceive that the little band under the direction of Mr. Black was nearing the protection of 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 loose their 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 threw themselves upon the ground.

They sprang to their horses and dashed away down the valley.

They were not discovered until they had cleared the shelter of the trees and then a volley was fired after them. The bullets sang all around them, but they escaped unhurt, and before another volley they were out of range.

"It's a good thing for us that they have no cavalry," said Brooks as they sped along.

"Sure is," was the response, "and I hope they don't succeed in getting word ahead of us."

"We'll fix that," said Brooks. "We cross the railroad just at the foot 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 doughnuts that there was n.o.body at Joachin or Rio Blanco to receive it. The nearest night operator, I imagine, is at Piedras Negras."

"They may send a force from there to head us off," suggested Billie.

"That's so; but I'm not sure whether Piedras Negras is held by the Carranza or the Huerta forces."

"It's a terrible mix-up, isn't it?" laughed Billie. "But I guess either side would be glad to get us."

They had reached the tracks by this time and a couple of minutes later Brooks was up a pole and with the aid of his bayonet broke the wires.

"If it isn't too late, that'll hold 'em for a while," he remarked as he descended from the pole and mounted his horse.

When they joined the main company, Billie told Mr. Black what they had done and repeated to him what Brooks had said.

"I think he is right," said Mr. Black, "and my advice is that we should 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 for just such an emergency."

They rode rapidly forward for a couple of hours and then, turning sharply off the highway, took to the woods which now grew dense all along the mountain sides.

About ten o'clock they stopped for breakfast and then all took a nap until the sun drew near the western horizon.

"We should reach our rendezvous with Don about dark," explained Billie, "and that would get us into Vera Cruz about daylight."

As they approached the appointed spot, Billie and Adrian, ever on the alert, noticed almost as one that the place had a changed appearance and mentioned it to the others.

"What do you mean?" asked the corporal.

"I can't exactly explain," was Adrian's reply, "but my prairie training always warns me to go slow when I sense danger."

"A mighty good idea," muttered one of the troopers, an old campaigner 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 what is wrong; but you can't scout on horseback."

The cavalcade came to a halt and the men examined their weapons to 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 we want 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 to leave it to you."

"What's the matter with my going on a scout?" asked Billie.

"Nothing the matter with your going," laughed Adrian, "but there might be with your coming back. No, I shall have to go, ankle or no ankle."

He slid from his horse, and almost before any one realized what he was doing he had slipped away on his hands and knees.

"He is certainly a brave boy," was Josie's remark, "and I hate to think of his taking all this risk on my account."

"Not so much risk for him as for us, I'm thinking," muttered the old trooper. "They are looking for mounted men--if they're looking at all--and not for crawling boys."

The old trooper was right, and ten minutes later Adrian returned to say that there was a small body of hors.e.m.e.n at the next turn of the road.

"Did you see anything of Don?" queried Billie.