Flight and Pursuit
The Rangers all scrambled to their feet, and after Captain Bradley had
asked a few questions and given some directions Steve introduced the
Radio Boys to him.
“Here are the aviators I told you I was going to enlist, Captain,” said
Steve. “They just landed a few hours ago.”
“Good enough,” said the leader, heartily, and he shook hands with each
in turn. “You’re a mighty welcome addition to our force. We’ve got
plenty of work cut out for you, too.”
“We’ll do our best to make good,” said Phil. “After some of the stories
we’ve heard about these cowardly raiders, we’ll be glad to go on the
warpath any time you say.”
“That’s the spirit,” said the Captain, approvingly. “You’d better spend
the next few days in getting acquainted and learning something of the
country, though. I suppose your plane will require some attention after
such a long drill, too.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we could find something to do on it,”
grinned Phil. “We like to keep it in good shape, and Dick here is a
regular bug. He can worry more about a thousandth of an inch play in a
bearing than anyone else I know.”
“Well, it’s best to be on the safe side,” said Captain Bradley. “I
understand from Steve that your plane is equipped with a wireless set,
too.”
“Yes, sir, we put that on after we decided to join the Rangers,” said
Phil.
“You can join right now, if you want to,” said the Captain heartily.
“That’s entirely up to you, though, you know.”
“The sooner the better, as far as I’m concerned,” said Phil, glancing at
his friends, who both nodded. “I guess we’re ready if you are, sir.”
“Fine!” exclaimed the Captain. “Quick action is what we like around
here. Come on over to my shack.”
Fifteen minutes later the boys had taken the oath, and were duly
inducted into the Texas Rangers. They were supplied with the usual
outfit of khaki shirt and trousers, high-laced boots, and broad-brimmed
sombrero. These clothes set off their athletic young figures to fine
advantage, and the Captain inwardly congratulated himself on this
addition to his forces.
The following days were busy ones for the Radio Boys. The Rangers were
all crack shots with rifle and revolver, and daring and expert horsemen.
The boys had had comparatively little experience in either of these
exercises, but it was not long before they could ride and shoot in a
manner to win words of commendation from the hardy men of the plains.
“That’s purty dern good shootin’”, remarked one old timer, as he watched
Phil riddle a condensed milk can at a hundred paces. “’Pears to me,
though, that that can would look better if it didn’t have no cover on
it. Let’s have your rifle, young feller, an’ I’ll see if I can take it
off.”
Lifting the rifle to his shoulder, he fired three times in rapid
succession, and the cover went spinning into the sand, neatly severed
from the rest of the can.
“Good night!” exclaimed Tom, “that would be a good way to open a can if
you were in a hurry.”
“Some shooting,” said Phil admiringly.
“Show him the poker chip trick, Dan,” grinned Steve. “Here’s a few I
happened to have in my pocket.”
Taking the chips, Dan drew his revolver, and tossed five chips into the
air. His revolver barked five times, and the five chips were shattered
into fragments.
“How do they do it?” exclaimed Dick, amazed. “How long did you have to
try before you could do that, Dan?”
“It’s all a matter of practice, I reckon,” said the other. “If you stay
out here long, you’ll learn to do the same thing. When your life’s apt
to depend on your quick shootin’, you don’t waste any time learnin’
how.”
In addition to riding and shooting, the boys took many flights over the
surrounding country, accompanied by Steve or one of the other Rangers
who was thoroughly familiar with the country. They soon had acquired a
good working knowledge of the surrounding territory, and all felt
competent to do useful service if called upon.
Nor was their opportunity long in coming. Early one morning one of the
patrol riders came dashing into camp, leaped from his horse, and dashed
into Captain Bradley’s bungalow. A border town had been raided by the
Mexicans the previous night. The citizens had put up a desperate fight,
but they were far outnumbered, and during the battle several were
killed. Fires were set at different points, and in the resultant
confusion the guerrillas made their escape, taking two girl prisoners
with them.
As soon as the camp heard this news, all was bustle and preparation.
Word was sent out for the Radio Boys to report at Captain Bradley’s
office immediately.
They found the Ranger leader pacing up and down the small room, a grim
and relentless expression on his face.
He spoke in curt, incisive tones.
“I want you fellows to locate those desperados and, if possible, find
out where they go,” he ordered. “They’ve got a big lead over us, and our
chances of catching them on horseback or even with automobiles is small.
But with your aeroplane you may be able to succeed where we would not.
And above all things, we want to get those two girls back. Let that be
your first duty. You can start at once, can’t you?”
“Yes, sir,” said Phil. “We’re ready, and so is the machine.”
“Good!” exclaimed Bradley. “If you travel almost due south, you’ll be
the most likely to pick up their trail. Do your best, and luck be with
you.”
The boys saluted, and hurried out, breaking into a run as soon as they
were in the open.
“We’re off, Steve,” shouted Phil, as they passed their friend.
“So are we,” said Steve, as he threw a saddle onto his horse’s back.
“But you’ve got a big advantage over us. Go to it, though, we’ll all be
rooting for you. I only wish I were going with you.”
The boys wheeled the _Arrow_ out of the rude shed that had been
constructed for it. They had no need to make an inspection, for they had
been over everything the previous afternoon, and knew that everything
was as it should be. Phil and Tom leaped into their places, Dick spun
the propeller, and as the engine took hold, leaped to one side and
scrambled aboard as the plane began to gather headway. Amid the cheers
of the Rangers they roared along the ground and then soared swiftly
aloft to begin the most exciting flight they had ever known.
They climbed steadily, holding a southerly course as Captain Bradley had
directed. Far away they could see a blotch of smoke, and they headed for
this, rightly conjecturing that it marked the site of the raided town.
Phil opened the throttle, and the _Arrow_ sped with breath-taking speed
through the crisp morning air.
In a few minutes they had covered the distance that it would have taken
a horse hours to traverse. Arrived over the town, they could see the
hills in the distance toward which the raiders were probably at that
moment travelling. They could make out a deep cleft between two
mountains, and Phil decided to head toward that, as it was probably a
pass through which the Mexicans would have to go.
Phil let the _Arrow_ out at full speed, and at the same time swooped
earthward, the better to see objects on the ground. The brown desert had
given way to green vegetation, and still they had seen no sign of the
raiders, when Tom, who was scanning the earth through a strong pair of
field glasses, uttered a cry.
“There they are, Phil,” he shouted, “Bear a little to the right, and
we’ll soon be right over them.”
Phil shifted his lateral controls, and in a few moments he and Dick
could see the column of raiders without the aid of glasses. The raiders
saw them, too, and there were wild shouts and gesticulations in the
cavalcade as the boys swooped down close to it. They could plainly see
the two girls, who were mounted on two mules. The girls realized that
the aeroplane must contain their countrymen, and stretched up imploring
arms toward it. But it would have been madness for the boys to attempt a
rescue in broad daylight against such overwhelming numbers, and they had
to content themselves with keeping track of the cavalcade.
The bandits were panic stricken under this surveillance, and hastened
their progress as much as possible, heading for the gap in the hills
that the boys had previously noted. Toward evening the bandits passed
through this gap, and laid their course for a tall mountain a few miles
from it. Through the field glasses the boys could see them winding up a
path, and finally saw them disappear in what seemed to be a big cave in
the side of the mountain. Several remained outside evidently as
sentries, and to deceive these, the boys turned about and headed north,
toward Laguna, as though giving up the chase for the night.
But this was far from being their intention. After carefully locating
the cave, the boys flew about ten miles, and then descended on a level
place to eat supper and hold a council of war.
“My idea is this,” said Phil. “Let’s wait until after dark, and then fly
to the foot of that mountain and land. I noticed a fine level place
there, and I think I can find it again, even after dark. Then, we’ll
leave the plane there, and creep up to the camp. Once there, we’ll have
to see how things look, and plan accordingly. We’ve got to get those
poor girls away from them, some way or other.”
“You bet,” said Dick. “It certainly hurt to have to leave them this
morning. I guess we’re about their last chance, for they can expect no
mercy from Espato.”
Night descended quickly, and after a hasty inspection of their firearms
the boys climbed aboard the _Arrow_, and started on their mission of
rescue.