THE FIGHT IN MIDSTREAM.
As the bullets whizzed overhead and all about the boat, and as Billie
saw the oarsman pitch forward, he had two thoughts in his mind--one to
keep from being hit by the bullets, and the other to capture Don Pablo,
whom he considered as the real leader of the gun runners.
It took some quick thinking to know what to do, but Billie was learning
how to do that very thing.
Seizing the oar which had fallen from Emilio's hand, he dragged it out
of the rowlocks, at the same time calling out with all his might:
"Cease firing!"
The command, given in excellent English, had its effect upon the
soldiers on the shore. The firing ceased, and a voice called out:
"Who are you?"
"I'm a messenger from Americans who are in danger in Presidio del
Norte," replied Billie; "but there are Mexicans in the boat. You have
hit one of them, and I've captured the boat!"
"Then bring the boat ashore," called the patrol.
"I can't!"
"Why not?"
"They won't let me!"
"I thought you said you had captured the boat!"
"So I have," replied Billie, "but I haven't captured the Mexicans!"
"No," shouted Don Pablo, who was now slowly making his way toward the
stern of the boat, "nor will you. Your hour has come!"
"Don't be so sure!" called the voice from the shore, and a shot rang
out, which came so close that Billie could hear it sing above his head.
Don Pablo ducked into the bottom of the boat, as though to dodge a
bullet which was already yards away.
"Did I hit him?" called the patrol.
"No, but you came pretty close," replied Billie. "But you hadn't better
try it again. You might hit me. I'm in the water."
"What, swimming?"
"Yes! I've got hold of the stern of the boat; but I've got to let go,"
he added hastily, as he saw Don Pablo again rise to his feet.
"What for?"
"They'll get me!"
"If we fire high enough can't we keep 'em down till you can push the
boat to shore?" asked the patrol.
"You might try it!"
And they did, with the result that Don Pablo again ducked to the bottom
of the _batteau_, while Billie worked with all his might to push the
boat toward shore.
It is one thing to swing a boat under headway, and another to push a
boat of the size of the _batteau_ even obliquely against a current. Thus
it was that, while Billie had been talking, the boat had slowly drifted
downstream and the patrol had been obliged to run along the bank.
"I'm afraid I can't do it!" Billie finally shouted. "I guess I'll have
to give up!"
"Don't," called back the soldiers. "Hang on and we'll come out after
you. One of the boys has gone for a boat."
"All right," called Billie. "Hurry up!"
"If they don't," muttered the lad, "I'll have to give up."
Then he thought of his mission, which had momentarily been driven from
his mind by the excitement.
"I can't give up," he thought. "I must get into the boat."
Holding on to the gunwale with one hand, he reached up and took his
six-shooter from under his hat, letting both the hat and cartridge belt
fall into the river. Then, as the shots continued to fly over the boat,
he slowly pulled himself aboard, at the same time calling out to those
on shore:
"Cease firing! I've boarded her!"
Having boarded the _batteau_, the next thing for Billie was to make
himself master of the craft, an act which he at once recognized was
somewhat difficult, seeing it was two to one, and at least one of the
two was probably just as well or better armed than he.
However, there was no backing out, nor had our hero any idea of such a
thing. He knew if he would succeed in the mission which he had
undertaken there must be no such word as fail. Therefore, the first
weapon at hand was strategy, and strategy Billie at once employed by
putting himself in a position where the oarsman served as a shield for
any bullet Don Pablo might see fit to fire at him.
This was comparatively easy, as Don Pablo, in his endeavor to get at
Billie, had left the bow of the boat and gone astern, while Billie had
executed a flank movement by swimming around and boarding the craft from
the bow. This put the oarsman between him and Don Pablo, with his face
toward the latter.
At the sound of the lad's voice, the oarsman arose and turned his head
to see what had happened.
"'Bout face!" exclaimed Billie, covering the man with his Colt. "If you
move I'll fire!"
The oarsman turned his face quickly, only to find himself looking into
the muzzle of Don Pablo's revolver, that nimble old gentleman having
arisen from the bottom of the boat as soon as the firing on shore had
ceased, with the intention of taking a shot at Billie before he could
put himself on the offensive.
Finding himself thus between two fires, the oarsman let out a yell that
would have done credit to a bunch of football players.
"Don't shoot!" he cried. "For the love of the saints, don't shoot, Don
Pablo! You will hit me instead of the gringo!"
"Sit down!" commanded Don Pablo.
"Don't you dare," countermanded Billie, "unless you want a bullet in
your back!"
"I'll shoot you if you don't," said Don Pablo.
"I'll shoot you if you do," declared Billie.
"Mercy! Mercy! _Señores!_" cried the oarsman. "I have done nothing for
which I should be shot."
"You are protecting the gringo!" said Don Pablo.
"You are protecting Don Pablo!" repeated Billie, who, now that he had
shaken the water out of his eyes and had secured a firm footing, could
fully appreciate the strange condition of affairs.
If Don Pablo should carry out his threat to shoot the man, he would
leave himself at Billie's mercy. Should Billie shoot first, and his
bullet fail to reach Don Pablo, he would be at the mercy of the Mexican.
But Billie seemed to have the best of the situation, for all he wished
to do was to hold Don Pablo at bay until the boat from the American
shore should come to his rescue. As a result he was satisfied to let
matters remain as they were. Especially did he feel that he had the
better of the situation when he heard the sound of oar-locks from out
the darkness.
"You won't have to stand long," he said to the oarsman, "I hear them
coming after us. As soon as they arrive you can sit down."
"They shall never get us!" exclaimed Don Pablo. "I'll die first!" and he
pulled the trigger of his revolver.
Had the old man fired without speaking, there is no knowing what damage
he might have done; but, from his words, Billie guessed exactly what he
proposed to do, and ere Don Pablo could pull the trigger, he rocked the
boat. As might have been expected, the shot flew wild, as Don Pablo
sought to maintain his balance.
"Now I've got you," said Billie. "Surrender or I'll fire."
Almost at the same instant the form of another _batteau_ loomed up in
the darkness, and a voice exclaimed in Spanish:
"Look out! There's a boat ahead!"
The cry was followed by a wild attempt of those in the oncoming boat to
check its progress; but the effort was in vain and the two boats came
together with such force as to cause Billie to lose his balance. He made
a vain attempt to regain his equilibrium, but without avail, and so, in
order to make the best of a bad situation, he plunged, rather than fell,
into the river.