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He went down on his back, striking the ground with jarring force. "What did I say?" whispered Dr. Tisco. "Wait!" responded Don Luis, with a shrug of his shoulders. Well-nigh frothing at the mouth, Pedro Gato leaped to his feet. All was red now before his eyes. He rushed forward bellowing like a bull, intent on crushing the young American who had dared to treat him thus.
Behind them, an ugly scowl on his face, sat Gato, his back resting against a rock. "But you will not find your enemies out here to-night, Senor Gato," softly remarked one of the quartette around the fire. "No," admitted Gato, in a growling voice. "Then why are we waiting here?" "Because it pleases me," snapped the big fellow. "What ails you? Am I not paying you?"
"Come on, now," whispered Tom. "Toward the mine." "And run into Gato?" grimaced Harry. "Great!" "If we meet him we ought to get away with him between us," Tom retorted. "One of us did him up this morning." "Go ahead, Tom!" Reade led the way in the darkness. They skirted the road, though keeping a sharp lookout. "There are the lights of the mule-train ahead," whispered Tom.
Then, with alert Harry behind him the villain allowed himself to be ordered along the trail. When dawn came Nicolas informed the young engineers that they were now within about four miles of the nearest telegraph station. The food that they had brought along was opened; even Gato had his share. Then Nicolas vanished once more, and the march was resumed.
Gato's explanation about the mule-train had quieted the fears of the bandits as to the approach of troops. In some mountainous parts of Mexico the government's troops are nearly always on the trail of bandits and the petty warfare is a brisk one. "Go to sleep, my friends. There will be nothing to do until day comes." "Then, good Gato, take us somewhere off this road," pleaded one of the men.
"Now, stand just so, until I get back of you," ordered Gato. "Do not attempt any tricks, and do not turn to look back at me. If you do I shall pull the trigger once and again. This rifle shoots fast." While talking Gato had placed himself to the rear of his captives, who, with hands up, remained facing ahead. "Do you want us to keep our hands up forever?" demanded Tom Reade, gruffly.
"But two of us and I am one of them do not like to be seen," rejoined the speaker at the fire. "The troops hunt us. There is a price on our heads." "Bandits!" muttered Tom Reade, under his breath, as he drew back. "I have heard that Mexico is overrun with bandits. These gentlemen are some of the fraternity." "Take us up to the house, Gato," urged one of the men at the fire.
Tom stepped over, rested his hand on Harry's shoulder, then dropped to a seat beside his chum. "Can you beat it?" Tom demanded, in ready American slang. "It would be hard to, wouldn't it?" Harry asked, smiling sheepishly. Pedro Gato turned to regard them with a surly grin. Though handcuffed, Gato seemed to feel that he was now enjoying his own innings.
"We've been losing a lot of valuable time. Besides, we don't know when we'll run into some of this mountain pirate's choice friends." Tom strode on ahead. Nicolas ran to his side, walking with him. Then came Gato, urged on by Harry Hazelton. "See here, you Nicolas," remarked Tom, protestingly, "why on earth didn't you stay put?
Tom and Harry started along the trail, side by side. Something whizzed through the air. Then something struck the earth heavily, and there was a slight, quickly repressed groan. "Quick, caballeros!" For the life of him Tom could not help halting and wheeling about. The next second he uttered a low cry of glee. For Pedro Gato lay flat on the ground, Nicolas bending over him.
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