The Broncho Rider Boys with the Texas Rangers

  CHAPTER II.

  A WILD CHASE AND ITS RESULT.

  The _hacienda_ which Billie had discovered in his search for the lostpack mule was located about a mile from the Rio Grande on the Mexicanside of the river, and appeared to be part of an estate of considerablesize. The house itself was a good-sized dwelling, built in true Mexicanstyle, with a great wall surrounding it, and the yard, or _patio_, as itis called, inside the walls. It was of dazzling whiteness, and, situatedupon a little knoll that rose almost abruptly out of the otherwise levelplain, made quite a pretentious appearance.

  "Looks as though it might belong to people of quality," remarked Donald,as the boys approached it, after a sharp gallop of twenty minutes.

  "Yes, or a fort of some kind, with that high wall all around it."

  "The wall, as you call it, is part of the house," explained Donald."However, it serves the purpose of a fortification. Father told me theygot into the habit of building their houses in this way during the dayswhen revolutions were of almost daily occurrence."

  "A habit from which they haven't yet recovered," laughed Billie.

  Riding up to the great front door, or gate, which they found closed,they knocked loudly. A sharp-eyed Mexican lad answered the summons andushered them into the _patio_, where they sat quietly upon their horsesuntil the owner appeared. He was a little, weazened old man--Don PabloOjeda, by name, as the boys afterward learned--but he received them witha great show of friendliness.

  "Welcome, strangers," he said, by way of greeting. "What can I do foryou today?"

  "We are travelers," replied Donald, "and one of our pack mules strayedaway. Being unable to find it, we thought perhaps some of your servantsmight have come across it, and, not knowing to whom it belonged, havedriven it to this place."

  "Quite possible," replied the old man. "I will summon them and inquire."

  This he did. In response to his summons, half a dozen peons put in anappearance, but all denied any knowledge of the mule.

  "He has probably gone down the river in the direction from which youcame," said Don Pablo, after the servants had gone back to their work."That would be the most natural thing."

  "Quite likely," was Donald's reply. "We will look for him in thatdirection. We are much obliged to you for your trouble."

  "_No hay de que_," meaning, there is no occasion for thanks, was theMexican's answer, and, without more ado, the boys took their departure.

  "The old hypocrite," exclaimed Donald, as soon as the boys were out ofearshot. "I actually believe he found the mule himself, and knows wherehe is at this very minute."

  "I thought that myself," commented Billie, "although I could understandvery little of what was being said. But he was altogether too gracious."

  "What most aroused my suspicions," said Donald, "was a side remark Iheard him whisper to that big dark peon. I didn't get the whole of it,but it was something about removing the livestock to another pasture.But he can't fool me, if ever I get sight of old Bray, for he had theKeystone brand."

  The boys walked their horses slowly along, talking the matter over,undecided what to do next; but, as they at last emerged from behind along row of cactus, which formed a hedge around one side of the_hacienda_, Billie uttered a sudden exclamation.

  "Look!" he almost shouted, and pointed away to the left, where, about amile distant, could be seen a couple of men on horseback, driving beforethem a dozen or more horses and mules. "I believe that big mule a littleto the side is old Bray."

  "I'm sure of it," replied Donald. "It's a long ways too far to see thebrand, but he's got a peculiar stride that I recognize as soon as I seteyes on him."

  "What had we better do?" queried Billie. "We're perfect strangers here,you know."

  "I don't care if we are," was the emphatic response. "No thievinghypocrite can get away with my mule as long as my name is Donald Mackay.Follow me," and, putting spurs to Wireless, he dashed off in thedirection of the drove, closely followed by Billie.

  From the direction in which the men were driving the animals it was veryevident they were headed for the mountains, some seven or eight milesaway, and it was plain to the boys that, if they ever expected to getold Bray, they would have to overtake the drove before it reached thefoothills. A small stream flowed across the plain and emptied into theConcho some miles farther west, and it was necessary for the men withthe drove to cross this stream before they could make a direct line forthe place they wished.

  The boys were unfamiliar with the lay of the land, but they made uptheir mind that they could cross the stream higher up and thus getbetween the men and the mountains. They did not know that the only fordwas the one toward which the men were driving the horses, andaccordingly, instead of following the direct trail, they struck offdiagonally across the plain.

  The men saw the boys as soon as they appeared upon the scene, andimmediately put the drove on a full run for the ford.

  While the stream toward which both the pursued and the pursuers wereheading was not a large one, it was quite a torrent because of the heavyrains of the past two or three days--the rainy season having alreadybegun. The natives were well aware of this, and thought it impossiblefor anyone to cross it except at the ford in question. Being fully amile in advance, they had no fear of being overtaken, as they feltcertain that when the boys reached the river they would have to turndown stream for more than half a mile before they could cross. Thiswould give the thieves another good mile the advantage.

  Wireless and Jupiter seemed to know what was expected of them, andfairly flew over the ground. The natives were also well mounted, and thechase would have been a fruitless one, had conditions been as theysupposed. But they did not know the kind of boys they had to deal with,nor the mettle of the horses they rode.

  After ten minutes of hard riding, it became evident that the boys weregaining, and as the thieves and their booty plunged into the ford, theboys were rapidly approaching the river at the place they had picked outto cross.

  Then for the first time the pursuers saw why it was that the thieves hadchosen a crossing so far downstream.

  For just a moment they drew rein, seeing which the natives gave a shoutof derision as they, too, slackened their pace and rode more leisurelytoward the mountains.

  But again the thieves had reckoned without their host, for, in anotherminute the boys put spurs to their horses and dashed toward the stream,even higher up than they had first aimed. Billie had discovered a narrowplace, and had made a suggestion to Donald, which they determined tocarry out.

  At the spot which Billie had discovered the stream was about thirty feetfrom bank to bank. Billie's suggestion was that they make the horsesjump it.

  It was a dangerous suggestion, because the very narrowness of the streammade the current at this point exceedingly swift. How deep it wasneither of the boys had the slightest idea; they did know, however, thatit was necessarily the deepest spot on the whole plain. But this did notdeter them. They had made up their minds to head off the thieves, andsuch a small thing as a thirty-foot leap over a raging torrent of waterwas not to be considered.

  So surprised were the men whom they were pursuing, that for the timethey forgot their herd and riveted their attention upon the boys, notfor a moment expecting them to try to cross when once they approachednear enough to the stream to know the actual condition.

  But, never flagging, almost neck and neck, Wireless and Jupiter dashedtoward the narrow spot.

  As they drew nearer, both boys saw that the stream was wider than theyhad thought, and swerved just a moment from their course.

  Again the natives uttered a shout of derision, expecting to see thempull up; but on they came.

  "Can we make it?" shouted Billie.

  "Sure," replied Donald, who was better acquainted with the latentability of his horse than his eastern-bred cousin. "Give Jupiter hishead and just a touch of the spur, and over we go!"

  They were right on the brink, and suiting the action to the word, theygave their horses their heads f
or the leap.

  Into the air they rose like a couple of soaring birds, and for one briefmoment were flying over the rushing water. The shout of derision died onthe lips of the now thoroughly frightened natives, as both thethoroughbred beauties landed fairly on the opposite bank and sped ontheir way, as though they had but jumped a ditch.

  By their daring feat the boys had so gained upon the thieves that theywere now not more than a quarter of a mile behind and gaining rapidly.Seeing that they could not escape with their booty, the thieves turnedsuddenly to the left, deserting their herd, and rode as fast as theirhorses could carry them directly toward the chaparral that skirted theRio Grande.

  At this the boys would have drawn rein, seeing that old Bray was nowwithin their grasp, but their attention was attracted by a shout fromthe opposite side of the stream which they had just crossed.

  Turning their heads to see whence came the noise, they beheld a body ofa dozen or more horsemen headed toward the ford at full speed.

  "Don't let them escape! Don't let them escape!" shouted the leader ofthe band, and, without stopping to think why they should obey such anorder, but feeling that there was good reason for it, the boys againtook up the chase.

  As they espied the horsemen on the opposite bank, and realizing thatthere was but one way to escape, the thieves turned in their saddles andsimultaneously fired a shot at their boy pursuers.

  The balls whistled by the boys' heads, but did not stop their furiousgallop. Again the thieves fired, and again the balls whistled harmlesslyby their heads.

  But they had no chance to fire again, for the lads were right upon them.Suddenly Donald's hand shot forward, and his lariat sung out withlightning speed. True to its aim, it fell over the shoulders of thenearest Mexican. Wireless stopped as though he had been suddenly rootedto the spot; the Mexican's horse dashed on riderless, and his master laysenseless upon the ground.

  At the same moment Billie's revolver cracked and the horse of the otherfleeing Mexican pitched headlong to the earth, carrying his rider withhim. Before he could recover himself, Billie had pulled up beside him,and, leaping to the ground, quickly bound him with his own lariat.

  The boys had hardly regained their breath, when a loud cheer announcedthe arrival of the other horsemen.

  "Good for you, young fellows," exclaimed the leader of the band, as he,too, sprang from his saddle. "You've made an important capture. We'vebeen trying to get evidence against these cutthroats for weeks. I surelyowe you one."

  "That's good," laughed Billie. "It's mighty nice to have somethingcoming. But who are you?"

  "Oh, me," was the good-natured rejoinder. "I'm Captain June Peak, of theTexas Rangers, and these are part of my company."