Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Suzan Flanagan and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
[Illustration: "THIS IS NO PLACE FOR ME," COMMENTED BILLIE AS HE
KEPT HIMSELF WELL HIDDEN BEHIND A GIANT CACTUS.
_The Broncho Rider Boys with Funston at Vera Cruz. Page 33._]
The Broncho Rider Boys
With Funston at Vera Cruz
OR
Upholding the Honor of the Stars and Stripes
By FRANK FOWLER
AUTHOR OF
"The Broncho Rider Boys with the Texas Rangers," "The Broncho
Rider Boys at Keystone Ranch," "The Broncho Rider
Boys Down in Arizona," "The Broncho Rider Boys
Along the Border," "The Broncho Rider
Boys on the Wyoming Trail."
[Illustration]
A. L. BURT COMPANY
NEW YORK.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright, 1916
BY A. L. BURT COMPANY
THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS WITH FUNSTON AT VERA CRUZ
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS WITH
FUNSTON AT VERA CRUZ.
CHAPTER I.
A DARING ADVENTURE.
"Let me look, Billie," and Donald reached out his hand for the
field glass through which Broncho Billie was gazing down from the
summit of Real del Monte upon the plain of Quesco, through which
the Pachuca river winds its way. "Maybe I can make out who they
are."
Billie handed over the glass without a word and stood expectant,
while Donald scrutinized closely a body of horsemen--twenty or
more in number--which had halted beside the railroad that
connects the little city of Pachuca with the City of Mexico.
"They are not soldiers, that's certain," was Donald's comment
after he had inspected the riders carefully for a couple of
minutes.
"That's what I thought," from Billie. "They look like a bunch of
_vaqueros_ to me; but what would a crowd of fifty cowpunchers be
doing in a country where the only cattle are goats?"
"That's right!" laughed Donald, greatly amused at Billie's odd
expression, "but still that is what they appear to be. Perhaps
they are expecting a drove of cattle up on the train."
"More likely they are expecting a load of bullion going down to
the City of Mexico," remarked the third of the party. "What do
you think, Pedro?" turning to the fourth of the boys who composed
the quartette.
"I am afraid you are right, Adrian," replied Pedro, with an
accent which denoted that of the four he was the only one who was
not of an English-speaking race.
"You don't think they would hold up a train in broad daylight,
and that not more than five miles from town, do you?" queried
Billie.
"If they are what I suspect," declared Pedro, "I think they would
hold it up at the station, if there were only a few more of
them."
"And what do you think they are?"
"I think they are Zapatistas."
"What are they?" asked Donald.
"Followers of the bandit leader, Emilio Zapata."
"Which side does he belong to?" asked Adrian. "Huerta or
Carranza?"
"Neither. He is simply a bandit, and his followers prey upon any
whom they find unprotected."
"And do you really think they are going to hold up and rob the
train from Pachuca?"
"_Sin duda!_" meaning without doubt.
"Then we must prevent them," declared Donald emphatically.
"What business is it of ours?" asked Billie. "If one bunch of
Mexicans wants to rob another bunch, especially if the second
bunch are Huertistas, I don't know that it is for us to
interfere. I'm not looking for trouble."
"You're not afraid, are you? If----"
"Say, Don," interrupted Billie, "what's the use of always asking
such foolish questions? If I remember rightly, the last time you
asked me that question was up on the Rio Grande a year ago, about
the time that I was swimming rivers and breaking into prisons
with the Texas Rangers to get you and Ad out of trouble. Now
why----"
Donald held up both hands.
"That's enough, Billie," he laughed. "I'll take it all back. Of
course you're not afraid. But I insist we must prevent this
hold-up."
"And again I ask, why?"
"Because there may be women and children on the train and----"
"That's enough," exclaimed Billie. "You needn't go on with the
rest. But what's the plan? We're a good ten miles from those
chaps--unless we had an airship."
"And then how far do you think it is?" queried Adrian.
"Well," replied Billie slowly, as he squinted up one eye, "I
should say they are about four miles away as the crow flies. But
we are not crows. By the Real road, it is at least ten miles."
"There must be a short cut somewhere," insisted Donald.
"There is," explained Pedro. "Just around the next turn in the
road there is a goat path that leads down to the river. If you
are not afraid of getting wet----"
"There you go," laughed Billie. "Afraid of getting wet! Just
let's settle it once for all that we are not afraid of anything
that it is right for us to do."
Pedro laughed good-naturedly.
"Well, then, since we are not afraid of getting wet, we can
follow the river for about two miles by fording it several times,
and emerge on the plain a mile this side of the clump of trees
which hides those fellows from the highway."
"And then what?" from Billie.
"That is as far as I've gone."
"Then you'll have to do better. Just as soon as we emerge from
behind those trees, we'll be a fair target. Four against twenty
is 'most too much on an open plain."
For several minutes no one spoke. It was Adrian who broke the
silence.
"I think I see a way, not only to save the train, but possibly to
capture the bandits."
The boys looked up in surprise.
"Do you notice how the railroad curves in toward the hills just
after it crosses the river bridge?" he continued, pointing out
the place he meant.
"Sure, we see it," from Billie.
"Well, when we leave the river, instead of riding toward that
bunch of trees, we'll ride the other way. That will bring us to
the railroad track near the curve. Then we'll ride up the track.
If we do not reach the station before the train leaves, we can
flag it. There is sure to be at least half a dozen guards aboard.
We will make ten. Most of the men aboard will have revolvers. The
result will be that instead of the bandits taking the train by
surprise, we will take them by surprise, and----"
"And the army that takes the other by surprise wins," finished
Billie, taking off his sombrero and bowing to Adrian in mock
gravity. Then to Pedro, "Let the scout lead the way and the army
will fall in behind, with the general at the head."
A laugh followed Billie's words, and putting spurs to their
horses, the four lads dashed down the mountain road upon their
self-appointed mission, which was by no means the first daring
adventure in which they had engaged; for the stories of the
doings of the three American lads in the quartette have furnished
interesting reading for thousands of American boys.
It is because of their numerous adventures and their skill as
horsemen that the trio has become known as the Broncho Rider
Boys. Their names are Donald Mackay, Adrian Sherwood and William
Stonewall Jackson Winkle, better known as "Broncho Billie." This
latter name was given him some two years before when he went to
visit his cousin Donald at the latter's home on the Keystone
Ranch in Wyoming. It was not given him because he was such an
expert rider, but because he could fall from his broncho pony
easier than any boy in that section. Rotund in appearance, he was
as jolly as he was fat, and his chief failing was his appetite.
No matter what the hour, no one ever mentioned eats that Billie
was not hungry.
When he first came West he was supposed to be in poor health. It
speedily developed that such was not the case. He was simply
hungry. Months in the open air had enabled him to eat without
fear and he was now about the most robust specimen of boy that
any one ever saw.
Donald, the oldest of the trio, was one of those level-headed
chaps who had a knack of doing the right thing at the right time.
His judgment had been proven good in many a tight place and under
many thrilling conditions. As a result, he was generally looked
up to as a leader by the others, although it must be admitted
that Adrian was also a lad of sense and plenty of nerve.
Adrian was the owner of a large Wyoming ranch, and one of the
books which has proved most interesting to American boys is known
as The Broncho Rider Boys on the Wyoming Trail, a story of how
Adrian saved his property from being taken away from him by a
dishonest uncle.
About a year previous to the time this story opens, these three
boys had been on a trip along the Rio Grande, when they fell in
with Capt. June Peak and a company of Texas Rangers, who had been
detailed to keep watch of the actions of a band of cattle
smugglers. Sent across the river into Mexican territory on a
secret mission, the Broncho Rider Boys had the good fortune to
rescue Pedro Sanchez, the fourth member of the quartette, from
the hands of a band of ruffians. Pedro turned out to be the son
of Gen. Sanchez of the Mexican army, who was visiting an uncle in
northern Mexico. After a series of thrilling adventures, which
are told in full in The Broncho Rider Boys with the Texas
Rangers, Donald, Adrian and Billie returned to their homes,
promising to visit Pedro in the City of Mexico whenever the time
was ripe.
During the time that the boys were scouting in Mexico they had
learned to speak Spanish quite well, and this knowledge had been
so improved during their visit with Pedro that they now spoke the
language well, an accomplishment which proved of much value to
them later on.
About a month prior to the day upon which this story opens, the
three Americans had met by appointment at New York City and had
come to Vera Cruz by boat and thence to the City of Mexico, where
they found everything in a greatly disturbed condition because
of the revolution which had been started some months previous by
Gen. Carranza.
It might be well right here to state briefly the history of the
previous few months in Mexico, so that all may understand how it
happened that none of the four boys had a very high opinion of
Gen. Huerta, at that time dictator of Mexico.
For nearly 35 years, up to 1911, Mexico had a peaceful existence
under a republican form of government. During the last 32 years
of that time Porfirio Diaz was president. Just prior to 1912 a
revolution was begun against what had come to be called the Diaz
government, and Diaz was compelled to flee from Mexico. The
revolution was headed by Francisco Madero, who was then made
president.
In February of 1913 a revolution was started against President
Madero by Felix Diaz, nephew of Porfirio Diaz, and the City of
Mexico was attacked. At that time Gen. Huerta was in command of
Madero's forces in the City of Mexico. He proved a traitor to
Madero, went over to Diaz, arrested Madero and confined him in
prison. Two days later, April 22, 1913, President Madero was shot
by order of Huerta, who then declared himself dictator. At the
same time he asked that the other nations of the earth recognize
him as the head of the Mexican government, a thing which the
government of the United States refused to do.
March 26, 1913, another revolution was started, this time
against Gen. Huerta by Gen. Carranza, governor of the state of
Chihuahua. This revolution had been in progress more than a year
when this story opens.
Pedro's father, Gen. Sanchez, had been a friend of President
Madero. When Madero was shot, Gen. Sanchez fled to Pachuca where
he had a large hacienda and also owned vast interests in the
silver mines at Real del Monte, some six miles up the mountains.
Later, however, he was promised protection by Gen. Huerta, who
was anxious to have the friendship of such a prominent man, and
returned to the City of Mexico. It was some time after this,
about March 1, 1914--when matters had quieted down in the City of
Mexico--that the three American boys went to visit Pedro.
A few days previous to the one on which we find the four boys
headed for the railroad to foil the would-be train robbers, they
had come to Pachuca, which is located some sixty miles from the
City of Mexico, on horses furnished them by Gen. Sanchez, to see
the mines and the beautiful mountains overlooking the plains of
Quesco. Every day they took long rides in various directions, in
spite of the unsettled condition of the country--a condition
which compelled them always to go armed with their trusty Marlins
and Colts--and that is how they happened to be on the Real road
at such an opportune time.
With these explanations, it is no wonder that the boys were keen
for the adventure upon which they were now embarked.
A sharp ride of fifteen minutes brought them to the river and
into it the horses plunged. At places it was only knee deep and
at other places where they were obliged to cross it was necessary
for the horses to swim; but this was only fun for the Broncho
Rider Boys.
Half an hour after sighting the bandits, the boys halted on the
railroad track, well secreted from their quarry by the curve
before mentioned.
"And none too soon," declared Donald as the sharp whistle of the
engine was heard perhaps half a mile away.
"How shall we flag her?" asked Pedro.
"With that red bandana handkerchief on Billie's neck," replied
Donald as he reached over and snatched the neckwear from its
place.
Springing from his horse, he ran up the track waving the red
signal as he ran.
A sharp blast from the whistle a couple of minutes later gave
proof that the danger signal had been seen, and the grinding of
the brakes told that the train was coming to a stop. Even before
this was an accomplished fact the conductor swung himself from
the front car and came running down the track to see what was the
matter, while the guards covered the boys with their carbines.
"What do you mean by stopping the train?" he demanded angrily.
Donald explained in as few words as possible.
The conductor signalled the guards to him and told them what
Donald had said.
"What had we better do?" asked the conductor.
"We had better go back to Pachuca for help," replied the guards.
"And let the Zapatistas escape!" exclaimed Billie hotly. "What do
you want to do that for?"
"We have only six guards," the conductor explained, "and----"
"And that, with us, makes ten," interrupted Billie.
The conductor regarded the boy with surprise.
"Do you mean you will join us to help capture the bandits?"
"What do you think we're here for?" asked Billie.
"Yes," chimed in Adrian. "What do you suppose we stopped the
train for?"
"But even ten are no match for twenty or more," declared the
guard.
"Of course they are," said Donald, "if the twenty are taken by
surprise."
"Which they will not be if we don't act pretty quick," insisted
Billie. "Come on! Let's go after them," and he climbed up onto
the car.
"That's what I say," said Pedro, following Billie's example.
Without more words the others followed and the conductor gave the
signal to go ahead.
"How about the horses?" asked Donald, turning to Pedro.
"They'll be all right; but if we capture the Zapatistas we'll
have horses enough any way."
"And if we don't," remarked Billie grimly, "there'll be some
riderless horses any way."
"Let us hope that they will not be the ones we have left behind,"
said Donald gravely.