Part 38 (1/2)

A STRANGE DISCOVERY

As nearly as Dave and Roger could calculate, there were about two hundred of the Mexican guerrillas--dirty and fierce-looking individuals, led by an officer wearing an enormous hat and a long, drooping mustache.

The entire crowd looked disreputable in the extreme, and the youths could not help but shudder as they gazed at the cavalcade.

”My gracious, Dave! do you call those revolutionists?” remarked Roger, after the last of the hors.e.m.e.n had disappeared down the roadway.

”They may be revolutionists, Roger. But to my mind they look more like bandits than anything else. Under the pretense of aiding Mexico they probably steal whenever they get the chance.”

”I'd hate awfully to fall into their clutches. I think they'd rob a fellow of every dollar he had.”

”Well, never mind those Mexicans, Roger,” pursued Dave. ”Come on, let us see if we can't locate Ward Porton.”

”He went over into one of yonder buildings.”

”I know it, and I've got an idea,” answered our hero. ”Let us see if we can't sneak across the roadway without being seen and then come up to those buildings through the thick gra.s.s and behind that chaparral.

If we expose ourselves Porton will, of course, keep out of our sight or run away.”

With extreme caution the two chums worked their way through the tall gra.s.s to the edge of the roadway. Then, watching their chance when n.o.body seemed to be looking, they dashed to the other side and into the gra.s.s again. Then they began to work their way cautiously in the direction of the group of buildings into which the former moving-picture actor had disappeared.

The buildings belonged to a Mexican ranch; but the place had evidently been the scene of a fight at some time in the past, for one of the buildings was completely wrecked and several of the others much battered. There were no horses, cattle, pigs, or chickens anywhere in sight; and the youths came to the conclusion that the ranch had been abandoned by its owner.

”Probably some of those guerrillas came along and cleaned him out,”

observed Dave, ”and after that he didn't think it would be worth while to stay so long as the country was in a state of war.”

In a few minutes more Dave and his chum gained the first of the buildings. Here they paused to listen and to look around.

”You want to be on your guard, Roger,” whispered our hero. ”Porton may be watching us and he may have some of his friends here. For all we know this may be his hang-out.”

”I'll be on guard, don't fear,” answered the senator's son, and brought forth his pistol.

”Don't use that gun unless you have to,” warned Dave, who did not favor any shooting, even in an extreme case like this.

”I'll not give a rascal like Porton the chance to shoot me first,”

retorted Roger. ”That fellow ought to be in jail, and you know it.”

To this our hero did not answer. He felt in his pocket to make sure that his own weapon was ready for use.

Not a sound from the other buildings had reached them, nor did any one appear to be in sight.

”Looks to me as if we were in sole possession, now that those guerrillas have gone,” announced Roger. ”Wow! I hope they don't come back,--at least not until we are safe on our side of the Rio Grande,”

he added grimly.

”Come on, we'll take a look through the buildings,” answered Dave.

”Don't make any noise if you can possibly help it.”

Leaving the building which they had first entered--an abandoned stable--they moved through a broken-down cow-shed to a long, low structure which had evidently been used by the helpers on the ranch.