Part 11 (1/2)
CHAPTER X
A WILD HORSE STAMPEDE
”Who is that man?” demanded Tom pointing to the one Ned had indicated. Tom's chum had had a glimpse of a s.h.i.+ning revolver in the hip pocket of one of the mule drivers, and knowing that the simple natives were not in the habit of carrying such weapons, the lad had communicated his suspicions to Tom.
”What man, senor?” asked the head mule driver.
”That one!” and the young inventor again pointed toward him. And, now that Tom looked a second time he saw that the man was not as black as the other drivers--not an honest, dark-skinned black but more of a sickly yellow, like a treacherous half-breed. ”Who is he?”
asked Tom, for the man in question was just then tightening a girth and could not hear him.
”I know not, senor. He come to me when I am hiring the others, and he say he is a good driver. And so he is, I test him before I engage him,” went in San Pedro in Spanish. ”He is one good driver.”
”Why does he carry a revolver?”
”A revolver, senor? Santa Maria, I know not! I--”
”I'll find out,” declared Tom determinedly. ”Here,” he called to the offending one, who straightened up quickly. ”Come here!”
The man came, with all the cringing servility of a born native, and bowed low.
”Why have you a weapon?” asked the young inventor. ”I gave orders that none of the drivers were to carry them.”
”A revolver, senor? I have none! I--”
”Rad, reach in his pocket!” cried Tom, and the colored man did so with a promptness that the other could not frustrate. Eradicate held aloft a large calibre, automatic weapon.
”What's that for?” asked Tom, virtuously angry.
”I--er--I--” and then, with a hopeless shrug of his shoulders the man turned away.
”Give him his gun, and get another driver, San Pedro,” directed our hero, and with another shrug of his shoulders the man accepted the revolver, and walked slowly off. Another driver was not hard to engage, as several had been hanging about, hoping for employment at the last minute, and one was quickly chosen.
”It's lucky you saw that gun, Ned,” remarked Tom, when they were actually under way again.
”Yes, I saw the sun s.h.i.+ning on it as his coat flapped up. What was his game, do you suppose?”
”Oh, he might be what they call a 'bad half-breed' down here. I guess maybe he thought he could lord it over the other drivers when we got out in the jungle, and maybe take some of their wages away from them, or have things easier for himself.”
”Bless my wishbone!” exclaimed Mr. Damon. ”You don't think he meant to use it on us, Tom?”
”Why no? What makes you ask that?”
”Oh, I'm just nervous, I guess,” replied the odd man.
But if Mr. Damon could have seen that same half-breed a little later, as he slipped into a Rosario resort, with the yellow stain washed from his face, the nervousness of the eccentric gentleman would have increased. For the man who had been detected with the revolver muttered to himself:
”Caught! Well, I'll fool 'em next time all right! I thought I could get away with the pack train, and then it would have been easy to turn the natives any way I wished, after I had found what I'm looking for. But I had to go and carry that gun! I never thought they'd spot it. Well, it's all up now, and if Waydell heard of it he'd want to fire me. But I'll make good yet. I'll have to adopt some other disguise, and see if I can't tag along behind.”
All unconscious of the plotter they had left back of them, Tom and his companions pushed on, rapidly leaving such signs of civilization as were represented by small native towns and villages, and coming nearer to the jungles and forests that lay between them and the place where Tom was destined to be made a captive.