A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.
It was a couple of hours later and the Broncho Rider Boys had just seen
the rurales ride away toward Presidio del Norte with their prisoners.
The two hours had been spent in a vain endeavor to find Don Rafael,
whose sudden disappearance and escape had taken away much of the success
of the expedition. The boys had just made another examination of the
cave, and were now grouped together on the water's edge, undecided what
should be their next step.
"It is certainly the most mysterious affair I ever had anything to do
with," declared Donald, "and we have solved some pretty big mysteries."
"Right you are," said Adrian. "I thought the mystery of the Zuni
medicine man was the biggest mystery we should ever have to unravel, but
this beats it."
"What was that?" asked Pedro, who was one of the company.
"It's most too long a story to tell now," replied Adrian, "but it was
told in print a few months ago by a friend of ours, Mr. Frank Fowler,
who wrote it into a book under the title of 'The Broncho Rider Boys
Along the Border.' I'll send you a copy when we get back to the States.
It was a mystery, all right, but we ferreted it out, hey, Don?"
"We sure did, and we must ferret this one out, too."
"The most mysterious part to me," said Billie, who up to this time had
stood apart thinking, "is not the disappearance of Don Rafael, but the
disappearance of Santiago. There is something unusual about him that I
must know."
"The captain didn't seem to care much about his disappearance," said
Adrian.
"I know he didn't, but he simply took him for another of the smugglers,
while he believes that Don Rafael is the head of a new revolutionary
movement. I am sure that this is not so."
"What?" asked Don. "Don't you think Don Rafael is stirring up a
revolution?"
"I meant I didn't think as the captain does about Santiago," explained
Billie.
"Oh! Well, what do you think about him?"
"I hardly know; but I don't believe he is a peon. I believe he is an
educated man and is here in disguise for some purpose."
"What makes you think that?" asked Pedro. "He seemed like a peon to me."
"That's because you did not get well acquainted with him. I did; for,
when you are in as tight a place as we were right after the explosion,
it doesn't take long to get acquainted."
"What did he do?" queried Adrian.
"That would be hard to tell. It would be easier to tell what he did not
do; but the thing that first attracted me was the way in which he cared
for Guadalupe."
"Speaking of Guadalupe," exclaimed Adrian, "I'd forgotten all about her!
What became of her?"
"Don Antonio took her home long ago," replied Donald. Then to Billie:
"Then what did Santiago do?"
"He just took charge of the both of us as though he owned us. He didn't
even appear nervous. You would have thought that he was in the habit of
being blown up. A peon wouldn't have done that! He would have thought
only of himself."
"That's so," declared Pedro; "I've seen them do it."
"Well, Santiago didn't. As soon as he had gained his feet after the
explosion knocked him down, he picked Guadalupe up in his arms, and,
calling out to me to follow him, he dashed out into the cave. The place
was full of men, but they were for the most part busy getting into the
boats. They evidently thought that the only attack they had to fear was
from the rear and were all hurrying to get out.
"Without stopping to speak to anyone, he turned toward the rear of the
cave, stood still for a moment, as though looking for something on the
wall, and then gave a sudden push with his hand. As though by magic the
opening appeared through which you saw the three of us come and by which
Don Rafael escaped."
"Then why can't we find the place?" interrupted Adrian.
Billie shook his head slowly.
"That's part of the mystery," he finally said.
"Yes, and a big part," declared Donald. "If we could locate that door,
we could find Don Rafael. Don't you think so, Billie?"
"I'm sure of it."
"Then let's find it!"
"I'll show it to you," said a soft voice, which came to them out of the
semi-darkness.
At the sound of the voice the boys turned hastily and grasped their
weapons.
"Don't be afraid," continued the voice. "No one is going to hurt you,"
and out of the darkness stepped Santiago.
"I just said you were the greatest mystery," exclaimed Billie, as soon
as he saw who the newcomer was, "and now I know it."
"Not a mystery," declared Santiago, "but a patriot."
"Which is even a greater curiosity in Mexico," declared Donald.
"I am afraid you are right," was the sad reply; "but there are still a
few, and some day we will free Mexico from the rule of those who seek
nothing but their own advancement."
"To which class does Don Rafael belong?" asked Adrian.
Santiago's usually mild face grew stern.
"To the wrong one, I fear. That is what I am trying to find out. I have
been told he was a patriot. What I have seen today leads me to believe
the opposite."
Pedro had listened eagerly to what Santiago had been saying, but without
speaking a word. Now he could contain himself no longer.
"He is a dog!" he exclaimed, "a would-be murderer and a thief. He knows
not honor! He bites the hand that fed him, and he would now help to
assassinate our good president, Francisco Madero!"
Santiago's eyes flashed. "Have a care," he said. "How do you know all
this?"
"My father is a trusted friend of President Madero. He knows that the
president has at heart the good of all the people, not the rich alone.
Don Rafael, as you call him, was a trusted servant of my father. He
betrayed his trust, and has become the vilest of the vile. I can give
you the proof!"
For several minutes Santiago remained silent, thinking deeply. When he
spoke it was with determination.
"You say you can give me proof," he said. "You shall have the
opportunity. Come!"
He quickly led the way to the place in the wall of the cave where the
boys felt sure the secret door was hidden. With one foot he gave a
sliding push to a triangular stone in the floor, and a moment later the
secret opening was disclosed.
"No wonder," exclaimed Billie, "that we couldn't locate the door. We
never thought that the key might be hidden in the floor. We only
searched in the wall! What simpletons!"
Santiago smiled whimsically, but made no reply, as he led the way
through the door.
"We will not need to close it now," he explained, "as there is no one
here whom we need fear."
He took from a niche in the rock a small lantern, which he was about to
light, when Donald drew from his pocket his electric searchlight.
"Take this," he said, handing it to Santiago. "It is much better."
Santiago took it in his hand and regarded it curiously.
"It is a strange instrument," he said. "Is it safe to use it?"
"Why not?" queried Donald in mild surprise.
"It looks like magic. It might bring ill luck."
"Oh, no," laughed Don. "Everyone uses them where we came from."
Santiago hesitated for a moment, and then said slowly: "It may be right
for those who understand. For those who do not it is ill luck. Take it
back. I dare not use it."
Slowly Donald returned the searchlight to his pocket, while Santiago
fumbled with the lantern which he was trying to light.
As the blue flame of the match cast a flickering light about the place,
suddenly from out the darkness there sprang a figure with uplifted hand,
and hurled itself upon Santiago. There was a muttered oath, a blow, and
the figure darted through the still open door, and disappeared in the
outer cave, while Santiago sank down upon the floor, murmuring to
himself:
"The magic light! The magic light! The ill luck has come!"
"It's Don Rafael! It's Don Rafael!" shouted Pedro. "Don't let him
escape!"
He sprang after the fleeing figure, closely followed by Billie and
Adrian, while Donald bent over the prostrate Santiago, examining his
wound by the light of his electric.
A moment later there was a shot from without, but, while Donald still
bent over Santiago, trying to stop the flow of blood from a wound in his
shoulder, the others came back.
"Did you get him?" he asked.
"I didn't even wing him," was Billie's crestfallen reply. "He must bear
a charmed life. But I'll get him yet, if I have to stay in Mexico all
summer!"
Santiago raised his eyes, and a fierce smile played upon his lips, as he
fixed his gaze upon Billie.
"Do you mean it, _señor_?" he asked.
"You bet I do!"
"Promise me!"
"Sure, if that will do you any good!" replied Billie lightly.
"Look out!" exclaimed Adrian. "That may mean more than you think!"
"I don't care what it means," declared Billie; "I've given my word, and
I'll stick to it!"
Santiago reached out and took him feebly by the hand. "You will never
regret it," he said. "When you have made your promise good, come back to
me for your reward."
And then the strange man swooned in Donald's arms.