A WILD CHASE AND ITS RESULT.
The _hacienda_ which Billie had discovered in his search for the lost
pack mule was located about a mile from the Rio Grande on the Mexican
side of the river, and appeared to be part of an estate of considerable
size. The house itself was a good-sized dwelling, built in true Mexican
style, with a great wall surrounding it, and the yard, or _patio_, as it
is called, inside the walls. It was of dazzling whiteness, and, situated
upon a little knoll that rose almost abruptly out of the otherwise level
plain, made quite a pretentious appearance.
"Looks as though it might belong to people of quality," remarked Donald,
as the boys approached it, after a sharp gallop of twenty minutes.
"Yes, or a fort of some kind, with that high wall all around it."
"The wall, as you call it, is part of the house," explained Donald.
"However, it serves the purpose of a fortification. Father told me they
got into the habit of building their houses in this way during the days
when revolutions were of almost daily occurrence."
"A habit from which they haven't yet recovered," laughed Billie.
Riding up to the great front door, or gate, which they found closed,
they knocked loudly. A sharp-eyed Mexican lad answered the summons and
ushered them into the _patio_, where they sat quietly upon their horses
until the owner appeared. He was a little, weazened old man--Don Pablo
Ojeda, by name, as the boys afterward learned--but he received them with
a great show of friendliness.
"Welcome, strangers," he said, by way of greeting. "What can I do for
you today?"
"We are travelers," replied Donald, "and one of our pack mules strayed
away. Being unable to find it, we thought perhaps some of your servants
might have come across it, and, not knowing to whom it belonged, have
driven it to this place."
"Quite possible," replied the old man. "I will summon them and inquire."
This he did. In response to his summons, half a dozen peons put in an
appearance, but all denied any knowledge of the mule.
"He has probably gone down the river in the direction from which you
came," said Don Pablo, after the servants had gone back to their work.
"That would be the most natural thing."
"Quite likely," was Donald's reply. "We will look for him in that
direction. We are much obliged to you for your trouble."
"_No hay de que_," meaning, there is no occasion for thanks, was the
Mexican's answer, and, without more ado, the boys took their departure.
"The old hypocrite," exclaimed Donald, as soon as the boys were out of
earshot. "I actually believe he found the mule himself, and knows where
he is at this very minute."
"I thought that myself," commented Billie, "although I could understand
very little of what was being said. But he was altogether too gracious."
"What most aroused my suspicions," said Donald, "was a side remark I
heard him whisper to that big dark peon. I didn't get the whole of it,
but it was something about removing the livestock to another pasture.
But he can't fool me, if ever I get sight of old Bray, for he had the
Keystone brand."
The boys walked their horses slowly along, talking the matter over,
undecided what to do next; but, as they at last emerged from behind a
long row of cactus, which formed a hedge around one side of the
_hacienda_, Billie uttered a sudden exclamation.
"Look!" he almost shouted, and pointed away to the left, where, about a
mile distant, could be seen a couple of men on horseback, driving before
them a dozen or more horses and mules. "I believe that big mule a little
to the side is old Bray."
"I'm sure of it," replied Donald. "It's a long ways too far to see the
brand, but he's got a peculiar stride that I recognize as soon as I set
eyes on him."
"What had we better do?" queried Billie. "We're perfect strangers here,
you know."
"I don't care if we are," was the emphatic response. "No thieving
hypocrite can get away with my mule as long as my name is Donald Mackay.
Follow me," and, putting spurs to Wireless, he dashed off in the
direction of the drove, closely followed by Billie.
From the direction in which the men were driving the animals it was very
evident they were headed for the mountains, some seven or eight miles
away, and it was plain to the boys that, if they ever expected to get
old Bray, they would have to overtake the drove before it reached the
foothills. A small stream flowed across the plain and emptied into the
Concho some miles farther west, and it was necessary for the men with
the drove to cross this stream before they could make a direct line for
the place they wished.
The boys were unfamiliar with the lay of the land, but they made up
their mind that they could cross the stream higher up and thus get
between the men and the mountains. They did not know that the only ford
was the one toward which the men were driving the horses, and
accordingly, instead of following the direct trail, they struck off
diagonally across the plain.
The men saw the boys as soon as they appeared upon the scene, and
immediately put the drove on a full run for the ford.
While the stream toward which both the pursued and the pursuers were
heading was not a large one, it was quite a torrent because of the heavy
rains of the past two or three days--the rainy season having already
begun. The natives were well aware of this, and thought it impossible
for anyone to cross it except at the ford in question. Being fully a
mile in advance, they had no fear of being overtaken, as they felt
certain that when the boys reached the river they would have to turn
down stream for more than half a mile before they could cross. This
would give the thieves another good mile the advantage.
Wireless and Jupiter seemed to know what was expected of them, and
fairly flew over the ground. The natives were also well mounted, and the
chase would have been a fruitless one, had conditions been as they
supposed. But they did not know the kind of boys they had to deal with,
nor the mettle of the horses they rode.
After ten minutes of hard riding, it became evident that the boys were
gaining, and as the thieves and their booty plunged into the ford, the
boys were rapidly approaching the river at the place they had picked out
to cross.
Then for the first time the pursuers saw why it was that the thieves had
chosen a crossing so far downstream.
For just a moment they drew rein, seeing which the natives gave a shout
of derision as they, too, slackened their pace and rode more leisurely
toward the mountains.
But again the thieves had reckoned without their host, for, in another
minute the boys put spurs to their horses and dashed toward the stream,
even higher up than they had first aimed. Billie had discovered a narrow
place, and had made a suggestion to Donald, which they determined to
carry out.
At the spot which Billie had discovered the stream was about thirty feet
from bank to bank. Billie's suggestion was that they make the horses
jump it.
It was a dangerous suggestion, because the very narrowness of the stream
made the current at this point exceedingly swift. How deep it was
neither of the boys had the slightest idea; they did know, however, that
it was necessarily the deepest spot on the whole plain. But this did not
deter them. They had made up their minds to head off the thieves, and
such a small thing as a thirty-foot leap over a raging torrent of water
was not to be considered.
So surprised were the men whom they were pursuing, that for the time
they forgot their herd and riveted their attention upon the boys, not
for a moment expecting them to try to cross when once they approached
near enough to the stream to know the actual condition.
But, never flagging, almost neck and neck, Wireless and Jupiter dashed
toward the narrow spot.
As they drew nearer, both boys saw that the stream was wider than they
had thought, and swerved just a moment from their course.
Again the natives uttered a shout of derision, expecting to see them
pull up; but on they came.
"Can we make it?" shouted Billie.
"Sure," replied Donald, who was better acquainted with the latent
ability of his horse than his eastern-bred cousin. "Give Jupiter his
head and just a touch of the spur, and over we go!"
They were right on the brink, and suiting the action to the word, they
gave their horses their heads for the leap.
Into the air they rose like a couple of soaring birds, and for one brief
moment were flying over the rushing water. The shout of derision died on
the lips of the now thoroughly frightened natives, as both the
thoroughbred beauties landed fairly on the opposite bank and sped on
their way, as though they had but jumped a ditch.
By their daring feat the boys had so gained upon the thieves that they
were now not more than a quarter of a mile behind and gaining rapidly.
Seeing that they could not escape with their booty, the thieves turned
suddenly to the left, deserting their herd, and rode as fast as their
horses could carry them directly toward the chaparral that skirted the
Rio Grande.
At this the boys would have drawn rein, seeing that old Bray was now
within their grasp, but their attention was attracted by a shout from
the opposite side of the stream which they had just crossed.
Turning their heads to see whence came the noise, they beheld a body of
a dozen or more horsemen headed toward the ford at full speed.
"Don't let them escape! Don't let them escape!" shouted the leader of
the band, and, without stopping to think why they should obey such an
order, but feeling that there was good reason for it, the boys again
took up the chase.
As they espied the horsemen on the opposite bank, and realizing that
there was but one way to escape, the thieves turned in their saddles and
simultaneously fired a shot at their boy pursuers.
The balls whistled by the boys' heads, but did not stop their furious
gallop. Again the thieves fired, and again the balls whistled harmlessly
by their heads.
But they had no chance to fire again, for the lads were right upon them.
Suddenly Donald's hand shot forward, and his lariat sung out with
lightning speed. True to its aim, it fell over the shoulders of the
nearest Mexican. Wireless stopped as though he had been suddenly rooted
to the spot; the Mexican's horse dashed on riderless, and his master lay
senseless upon the ground.
At the same moment Billie's revolver cracked and the horse of the other
fleeing Mexican pitched headlong to the earth, carrying his rider with
him. Before he could recover himself, Billie had pulled up beside him,
and, leaping to the ground, quickly bound him with his own lariat.
The boys had hardly regained their breath, when a loud cheer announced
the arrival of the other horsemen.
"Good for you, young fellows," exclaimed the leader of the band, as he,
too, sprang from his saddle. "You've made an important capture. We've
been trying to get evidence against these cutthroats for weeks. I surely
owe you one."
"That's good," laughed Billie. "It's mighty nice to have something
coming. But who are you?"
"Oh, me," was the good-natured rejoinder. "I'm Captain June Peak, of the
Texas Rangers, and these are part of my company."