"Those rascals have spoiled our luck."

"It wouldn't have been safe," replied Juarez cautiously. "It's some of this gang, that the Mexican came from, and they might outnumber us."

"We will wait here a few minutes," said Jim. "Perhaps we will sight them." So the boys crouched at the edge of the grove with the brush for a screen, looking narrowly in the direction of the shots. A half hour pa.s.sed, still they saw nothing, but they never stirred, and watched steadily. The Frontier Boys had acquired something of the patience of Indians when it came to lying in wait for an enemy.

"There they come," at length said Juarez the keen-eyed. He had discovered several dark spots moving among the trees.

"That's them," cried Jim eagerly. "Four of 'em."

"If they cut our trail, we will have to fight," said Juarez, "unless we cut for camp."

Jim shook his head. "I want to get a closer view of these beggars," he said.

They were now coming within range, jogging along on their cayuses down the gentle incline between the trees. They had shot a couple of deer.

"Three of them look like Mexicans," said Juarez. "I believe they are coming right by us."

"If they do, we will jump the procession," said Jim.

However, they did not get the chance, for when the hunters had come within about three hundred yards of the grove they turned at right angles and were lost to view behind a spur that ran from the southern ridge. Without a moment's hesitation, Jim and Juarez left their covert and took up the trail. It was dangerous work, but in their moccasined feet they did not make a sound.

They crouched along at a good rate, always keeping near enough not to lose the rear horseman, who was a Mexican and rode stolidly forward.

When they had the chance they closed up within a few yards of the men, so that they could overhear the sc.r.a.ps of conversation. Once they got a real scare when one of the Mexicans swung off his pony and came back looking for a cigarette that he had dropped.

Jim and Juarez pressed back into a tall bush and stood there not daring to breathe, while the Mexican, with his eyes on the ground, came within a few feet of them, stooped and picked up his cigarette, and then the two boys heard the clatter of his horse's hoofs as he made haste to rejoin the rest of the procession. For two hours they followed the four hors.e.m.e.n through the big canyon, and the smaller side one, until they came within range of the camp of the enemy, in the pocket at the end of the side canyon.

Here the boys had to use great caution. They worked around to the slope above the cabin of the Gus Gols gang. There they got their first view of the giant they had to deal with as he came into the open in front of his cabin, with his slouching walk. Six feet four in height, lanky in build but of wonderful muscular strength and endurance. He was bareheaded, with a tuft of light hair sticking straight up. His sun-burned neck was like a column.

"You Eph!" he yelled. "Tell the Greasers and Ed I want to see 'em in the corral." Meaning the cabin.

"All right, boss," came the answer in Eph's gruff voice.

It was certainly an ugly-looking crowd that came from different directions in answer to Eph's summons. There were seven of the Greasers, so there was a total of ten ruffians gathered in the cabin.

"I'm going to hear this pow-wow," said Juarez, handing Jim his rifle.

Jim nodded and from his position behind a big pine stood ready to protect Juarez's retreat in case he was discovered by the outlaws.

With nothing but his pistol and knife ready to his hand Juarez started on his dangerous mission.

CHAPTER XXV

A NEW FORT

He glided noiselessly down the slope, moving cautiously but quickly, until he came to the back of the cabin. It was not difficult for him to hear through the unstopped logs. Jim watched narrowly for the first move of discovery on the part of the outlaws. He could hear the rather high-pitched voice of Gus Gols occasionally, and the heavier one of Eph, but it was impossible for Jim to make out what was being said.

He could tell it was something very interesting by the way Juarez was listening. Then Jim's heart stood still when he saw Juarez rise suddenly to his feet from his listening posture, for he knew by his action that he was in danger of discovery. As in truth he was, as you will see.

The pow-wow had been going on for a few minutes when Juarez heard Gus Gols say:

"You Eph, take a scout around the corral, and see if you kin discover any interested spectators hanging around. This is an important business, fellow cits and Greasers, so we will have to be keerful."

So Eph started for the door on his tour of inspection, which he did not take very seriously, for he knew that there was no government official within a hundred miles. As for the tenderfeet in the valley, he never gave them a thought; they were probably staying close to camp, afraid that the bears would get them. As soon as Gus Gols spoke Juarez realized that he had no time to spare.

If he retreated up the slope, he was almost certain to be seen, and that meant a running fight against the gang of ten men, with a very dubious prospect ahead. He must act quickly; there was no place near the cabin where he could hide. Already Eph had stepped outside the door. Now the roof of the cabin sloped to the back with overhanging boards. Juarez saw his chance; he grabbed one of the boards and lifted himself lightly up, and lay down flat just as Eph came around the corner of the cabin.

Jim was quivering with the excitement of the situation. Eph took one careless look around, shook his head with the muttered comment that "The boss must be losing his nerve," and went in to report that all was quiet along the Potomac.

Juarez did not get down from the roof of the cabin, but merely moved a little to where there was a convenient knothole, through which he could hear everything that was going on in the cabin.

He stayed where he was for about ten minutes, lying as quiet as a lizard on a sun-warmed log, and this is no idle comparison, for the sun did shine down with lots of force; then he slowly and very carefully moved backwards, and let himself gingerly down to the ground, while Jim watched him intently, sure that he had found out something of importance.

Not a word did Juarez say, but motioned Jim to follow him. When they had made their escape from the pocket, then Juarez spoke up.

"That was a close call that time, Jim," he said.

"You had me scared for a minute, Juarez," admitted Jim. "What's the news? Those fellows were planning some devilment."

"They were," said Juarez. "They are going to attack our camp to-night, when we are asleep. Kill us and take our horses and supplies."

"Oh! ho! Is that the ticket!" cried Jim. "I thought that rangy Maverick with the stick-up hair was a bad actor. Forewarned is forearmed. We will give that bunch a surprise party, but we will have to hustle, for it's a long ways to our horses yet."

"I reckon we will have a couple of hours' leeway," said Juarez, "to get things in some sort of shape."

"There will be plenty to do," said Jim briefly.

As they swung along down the mountain side, Jim's mind was busy with plans of attack and defense. The two boys traveled like Indians with a swinging, easy stride that covered a lot of ground. How they did revel in the muscular exertion in that bracing air! It was fine to feel themselves equal to their task. Around and before them the scene was constantly changing.

Now they were going through the pine forests, then into a canyon's depths with great walls that seemed to bear the blue skies above; next along a narrow trail, with flowering bushes hiding a little creek babbling a few feet below. Then, covered with dust, hands and faces baked brown with it, they came to the grove where they had left their horses tied.

"It seems kind of good," said Juarez, "to have a horse to carry you."

"I'm just tired enough to enjoy the change," said Jim.

"It won't take us long to reach camp now," remarked Juarez.

"Cut 'em loose!" yelled Jim, and with a raucous Indian warwhoop, they let their willing horses go. I tell you that was a wild ride for speed. Caliente thundered with great leaps over the level plain, and not far behind scampered Juarez's roan. The boys at the camp on the hill, hearing the clatter of horses' feet, knew that someone was approaching, and looked out.

"Here they come like wild Indians!" exclaimed Tom.

"Somebody chasing them?" inquired Jeems anxiously.

"The same crowd that tied you, I reckon," said Tom, and, for some reason unknown to Jeems, they went into fits of laughter. In a short time Jim and Juarez were in their midst. They did not waste any time in greetings and idle chaff. They made clear to the rest of the boys in conclave a.s.sembled, that the time for action had arrived. Jeems heaved a sigh of regret. There seemed no chance for quiet and meditation. The other boys were calm, but serious.

"Let the horses graze a while," said Jim. "We have got a couple of hours' leeway. Now we have got to build a stockade to protect our horses and ourselves."

Five husky fellows can do a great deal in two hours and a half of daylight. Jim had thought out his plan and talked it over with Juarez, so there was no time lost in useless palaver. He had chosen a small open s.p.a.ce where the horses had been tethered the night before as the place for the fort.