CHAPTER XII.
A NIGHT ATTACK.
Realizing in an instant that the hiss of the fuse, like therattle of the snake, betokened danger, Donald drew hastily backinto the patio in time to be out of reach of the explosion whichsplintered the gate and tore it from its hinges.
Then, with finger on trigger, he awaited the coming of the foe.
It was a tense moment and the boy's heart beat fast. He had beenin many trying situations, but never in one where the safety ofso many others seemed to depend upon him.
He heard the sound of oncoming feet and intuitively threw himselfupon the ground behind a little stone paling which surrounded adismantled fountain.
The act undoubtedly saved his life, for an instant later therewas a scattering volley and he could hear the bullets hit againstthe stone wall of the house behind him.
In an instant he pressed the trigger and a yell which followedgave evidence that the bullet found a mark.
He fired again, but evidently without effect, and a minute latera light at one side of the patio told him that the enemy, or apart of them at least, were inside the gate.
As the light flared up Donald fired again, but again withoutavail; but a moment later the cannon on the roof spoke.
"So," he thought, "Billie and Mr. Black are at last awake."
At the report of the cannon the light went out and there was therush of scurrying feet, followed by a shout.
The shout indicated that those within the patio had withdrawn tothe other side of the gate.
Feeling sure that the patio was now free of the enemy for a timeat least, Donald retreated in the dark to the house and was sooninside. At the first landing he encountered Josie, sitting on astep with a ready revolver. He was able to see her by the dimlight of an oil lamp which hung from the ceiling.
"Where are the others?" he asked.
"On the roof. They are trying to locate the enemy."
Donald ascended to the roof.
"I have a plan," he said, "which will enable us to get in anothershot. Load with shrapnel and I will see if I can't make some sortof a light outside the gate. Be ready on the instant."
He ran downstairs and again crept out into the dark patio. He hadnoticed in the afternoon that there were several bundles of strawin the stable.
Taking one of these under his arm, he approached the angle in thewall near the outer gate. He lighted a match and as the flamecaught the straw he flung the bundle over the wall, at the sametime darting inside the stable.
He had hardly found a safe position when the cannon spoke againand evidently with telling effect.
But before those inside the walls had time to think, the enemyrushed in, determined to capture the place.
In the dark they rushed to the house, but once under the gallerywhich extended all around the inside of the patio, they produceda light which enabled them to find the doors.
The light also enabled Donald to see those at the door and hefired from the stable.
For a moment the fire in the rear disconcerted the enemy andseveral fled, but others took possession of the doorway andforced their way in.
The first one who entered fell by a bullet from Josie's revolver;but realizing her weakness she jumped and fled to the floorabove, where she met her father coming down.
"They have gained possession of the house," Mr. Black told Billieas he and the senora also descended from the roof. "We must nowguard the stairway. We should be able to hold it indefinitely."
This prediction seemed correct, as the first four or five men whoattempted to reach the second story never got more than theirheads above the floor.
After several trials of this sort, they withdrew and held acouncil of war. The result was that a few minutes later a voicecalled out from below:
"If you will surrender, your lives will be spared."
In reply Mr. Black shouted: "If you do not withdraw and leave usin peace you will meet a fearful punishment."
His reply was greeted with jeers.
"I wonder how many of them there are?" queried Billie.
"Quite a bunch from the sound." Then, a moment later, "They seemto be going out."
"Maybe they think we will come down," said Josie.
"But we must not," exclaimed the senora. "They would kill us.Surely our friend must bring us aid soon."
"Let us hope so," was Mr. Black's reply.
And hope was the best they could do.
There was no further attack, although they could hear the soundof voices in the patio below.
After a long period of quiet Mr. Black ventured the assertionthat they were waiting for daylight, and his surmise provedcorrect.
No attempt was made to force an entrance until the first faintlight of day began to appear. Then there was renewed activitybelow and a few minutes later the sound of a single shot.
"I wonder what that was," exclaimed Billie.
No one could answer, but had Billie been where he could see, hewould have known that it was Donald who fired.
As the light came, Donald, peering through a crack in the stable,had seen a man climbing up the side of the house toward the roof.Without a moment's hesitation he fired and the man dropped, shotthrough the right hand.
But the shot was Donald's undoing. The flash of his gun wasdetected and half a dozen men rushed his hiding place and tookhim prisoner.
He was at once taken before the captain of the band andquestioned as to the number of defenders and as to thewhereabouts of Gen. Blanco.
To all the questions Donald gave an evasive answer.
"If you will tell me where Gen. Blanco is," said the captain, "Iwill give you your freedom."
"That's easy," was Donald's reply. "He is with Gen. Carranza."
"I don't believe it."
"Well, I can't help that, nor does what you believe make anydifference. It is the truth and what you may believe has nothingwhatever to do with it."
The captain scowled.
"Who is it then, that is defending the house?"
"Americans. You had better let us go, or it will be the worsefor you. We had a safe conduct from Gen. Huerta, but we werebetrayed."
"If I had my way," said the captain, "I'd shoot every American inthe whole of Mexico."
"I don't see why," from Donald. "We have nothing against you."
"Take him away," ordered the captain, "and see that he does notescape. Now let us capture the others."
There was a rush for the house as Donald was led back to thestable.
Billie and Mr. Black heard them coming.
"Go to the roof," commanded Mr. Black, speaking to the twofemales, "and keep yourselves and the little girl out of sight.We will hold them back here as long as we can and then we willalso come to the roof."
The command had hardly been obeyed than the Mexicans began tocrowd up the stairs. They were met with shot after shot, but atlast all the weapons were empty.
"Run for the roof," said Mr. Black as he arose to his feet andwith his heavy boot kicked a head which was just coming up thestairs.
Billie obeyed and a minute later the fugitives had gathered uponthe last place of safety left.
"If we only had some ammunition," moaned Billie. "Can't we dosomething?"
Then, as in answer to his own query, he picked up a twelve-poundcannon ball that lay on the roof and, raising it above his headwith both hands, hurled it through the opening upon those below.
This unexpected attack caused the besiegers to draw back, butonly for a moment. Then they came on again. In his desperation,Mr. Black, with almost superhuman strength, picked up the cannonitself, just as Billie had picked up the ball, and hurled it downthe stairs.
Half a dozen men fell beneath its weight, while the others,frightened at such an exhibition of strength, fell back indismay.
A shout from the captain urged them forward, but ere they couldgather their courage for another rush there came the sound of avolley in the patio below and a minute later Adrian rushed up thestairs, followed by Captai
n Lopez and a squad of his soldiers.
Taken in the rear and entirely by surprise, the Huerta forcesthrew down their arms and cried for mercy, and in less than fiveminutes after the arrival of Captain Lopez and his men, theentire force, or as many as remained, were prisoners.