CHAPTER XIV.
THE DON IN TROUBLE.
"What is to be done now?" asked Frank, as he and Archie walked slowlyalong the dark passage-way.
"There's only one thing we can do," replied the latter, "and that is,to explore every room we come to until we find our way out of therancho. Of course there is danger in it, but--There's one of therascals!"
A slight noise, a little in advance of them, attracted the attentionof Archie, who elevated his lantern, and peered through the darknessjust in time to catch a glimpse of a Ranchero, running swiftly towardthe other end of the passage. Frank's revolver was cocked and leveledin an instant, but he was too late to stop the man, who had no soonerbeen discovered than he vanished from their sight. He did not go far,however, but stopped at the end of the passage, and keeping his eyesfastened upon Archie's lantern, called loudly for help.
"We're discovered at last," whispered Frank.
"But we're not caught," was Archie's encouraging reply. "Let's go intothis room."
Archie had noticed one thing that night, and that was, that thegreater the hurry he was in to find a key to open any of the doors,the more time he wasted in finding it. There must have beentwenty-five or thirty keys on the bunch, and he tried nearly all ofthem, before he found one that would turn the bolt. His hand trembledso violently that he could scarcely insert the keys into the lock,and, in his haste, he dropped the bunch more than once.
"How thankful I would be if that fellow should lose the power ofspeech for about five minutes," said Archie, who seemed to be verymuch disconcerted by the Mexican's furious yells. "I might as wellgive it up," he added, in despair. "If the right key is on this bunch,I can't find it."
"Never say die," replied Frank, who stood close at his cousin's side,holding the lantern in one hand, and his revolver in the other. "We'llnot give up until we are bound hand and foot."
All this while the Mexican had never once ceased his calls forassistance. He kept up a continuous roar, and presently answeringshouts, and the tramping of numerous feet, told the fugitives that hehad succeeded in attracting the attention of some of his companions.The reinforcements came on rapidly, and arrived in sight, and Archiehad not yet been able to find a key that would open the door.
"Take it easy," said Frank, who began to fear that his cousin'snervousness and impatience would prove their ruin. He spoke calmlyenough, but his face was very pale, and the lantern trembled in hisgrasp. This was the severest test that had been applied to his couragesince he stood at that log awaiting the approach of the wounded andenraged grizzly; and yet he could speak in his ordinary tone of voice,without the least impatience, and advise his terrified and excitedcousin to "take it easy." It showed what nerve he had. He was gettingdesperate; and while he kept one eye upon Archie, and the other turnedtoward the farther end of the passage, he was calculating his chancesfor emptying his six-shooter among the Mexicans, before they couldclose around him. "There is nothing to be gained by being in such ahurry," he added, as his cousin once more dropped the keys. "The morehaste the less speed, you know."
At this moment lights flashed in the passage, and dark forms came onat a rapid run. The prospect was certainly disheartening. Their onlychance for escape was through that door, which refused to open forthem, and there were their enemies, at least half a dozen of them, notmore than twenty feet distant. But their good fortune had not yetdeserted them. The right key was found, just in the nick of time--nota single instant too soon--the door flew open, and Frank and Archie,uttering a simultaneous cry of joy, slipped through and slammed itbehind them. The moment it was closed Frank braced himself against it,and Archie inserted the key into the lock; but, before he could turnthe bolt, a strong hand grasped the latch, and a stalwart Mexicanthrew his weight against the door, which was forced partly open, inspite of all Frank's efforts to prevent it. A moment afterward, a handholding a murderous looking bowie-knife appeared, followed first by adark, scowling face, and then by a pair of broad shoulders. One of theMexicans, who had reached the door a little in advance of hiscompanions, was trying to squeeze himself into the the room; and heseemed in a fair way to accomplish his object.
"Here's fifty thousand dollars," said he, exultingly. "Come here,somebody. He's got a pistol."
The boys jammed the door against the Ranchero, with all theirstrength, but he was a match for both of them, and besides he had agreat advantage. Frank and Archie could find no foothold upon the harddirt floor. Their feet slipped about in every direction, and theMexican, having braced himself against the door-post, was slowly butsurely pushing them back. He would certainly have succeeded in workinghis way into the room, had it not been for Frank's revolver. The sightof the cocked weapon, thrust full in his face, drove him back, andbefore the rest of the Mexicans could come to his assistance, the doorwas closed and fastened.
"Whew!" whispered Archie, drawing a long breath, and wiping the bigdrops of perspiration from his forehead, "that was a close shave,wasn't it? It doesn't seem to suit them very well."
If one might judge by the uproar that arose in the passage, theMexicans were certainly very much disappointed. They yelled at the topof their lungs, and some struck the door with their knives, whileothers threw themselves against it and tried to burst it open. Butthat door was not a common door. It was made of heavy planks, and wasstrong enough to successfully resist all their attacks. There was butone way in which they could effect an entrance, and that was bycutting the door down with an ax. Before that could be done, thefugitives would have ample time to hunt up a new hiding-place.
The boys had been so terrified by their recent danger, and so intenton preventing their enemies from following them into the room, thatthey had not thought of any thing else. They had not had time to lookabout the apartment in which they had taken refuge; and if there hadbeen a dozen men in there, they would not have known it. As soon asthey had somewhat recovered their composure, and satisfied themselvesthat their enemies in the passage-way could not immediately effect anentrance, they began an examination of the room, and found that, likemost of the others in the underground portion of the rancho, it wasused as a receptacle for various odds and ends, being filled withboxes, bales of goods, and articles of like description. They noticedalso that the room communicated with another, and that the doorbetween them stood wide open; and scarcely had they observed thesepoints, before they became aware that there were men on the oppositeside of that door. They could not see them, but they could distinctlyhear their voices. One was angrily demanding something, and anotherwas answering in an imploring tone. The men, whoever they were, hadevidently got into some difficulty; for, with the voices, wasoccasionally mingled the sounds of a furious struggle.
"There's a fight going on in there," whispered Archie. "I hope theywill keep one another employed until we can get out of here. Which wayshall we go?"
That was the very question Frank was asking himself, and it was one hecould not answer. If they went back into the passage, they would rundirectly into the clutches of their enemies; and if they retreatedinto the adjoining room, they would be captured by the men who werequarreling there. It would be useless for them to conceal themselvesamong the boxes and bales of goods, for two men could thoroughlyransack the room in half a minute's time, and their hiding-place wouldspeedily be discovered.
"Oh, we are caught at last," said Archie, after he had thought thematter over. "We can't stir a step, for our enemies are all aroundus."
Thump! thump! Both boys jumped as if some one had suddenly fired apistol close to their ears. The Rancheros in the passage had securedan ax, and were beginning the work of cutting down the door. Theblows fell fast and furiously, and before the cousins had fairly madeup their minds what was going on, the door began to shake and trembleviolently. Something must be done at once; for in two minutes more theroom would be filled with Rancheros. The boys looked at each other,and both seemed to have decided upon the same course of action; for,with one accord, they started toward the opposite side of the room.They
moved swiftly, but noiselessly, and when they reached the door,they stopped and looked in and beheld a scene that filled them withastonishment. By the light of a lantern, which stood on a table in thecenter of the room, they saw a man lying upon the floor, and anotherkneeling upon his breast, and holding him by the throat with one hand,while, with the other, he flourished a knife in the air. The prostrateman was the chief of the robber band, and his antagonist was PierreCostello. They were talking in angry, excited tones, and during thefew seconds the cousins stood at the door, undecided how to act, theycaught enough of the conversation to understand the cause of thetrouble.
Pierre had boasted to Frank, before he left him in the ravine, that hehad two strings to his bow this time. In case Don Carlos refused topay him the reward he had offered for Frank's capture, he would keephis prisoner safe, until his uncle ransomed him. If one failed, theother would not, for Mr. Winters would willingly give every cent hewas worth, rather than permit harm to befall his nephew. But somethingwas always happening to upset Pierre's plans. The Rancheros, whom hehad tried to cheat out of their share of the money, had followed himto the mountains, and taken charge of the prisoner themselves. Pierrewas in the court when Frank was brought in, and although he saidnothing, he was highly enraged. He could, of course, have claimed aportion of the reward, but that would not satisfy him--he wanted itall; and he mentally resolved that, before morning, he would smuggleFrank out of the rancho, and carry him back to the mountains.
While thinking the matter over, and trying to decide upon the bestplan for accomplishing his object, he came to the conclusion that itwould be well to make a change in his programme. He was satisfied thatthe events of the night had broken up the robber band (thedisappearance of Frank and Archie would create a great commotion inthe settlement, and the Don's secret would be certain to leak outsomewhere), and Pierre determined to secure his own safety bydeserting his friends, and leaving the country. He would not, however,go empty handed. The Don had plenty of gold stowed away in some secretcavern; Pierre wanted some of it; and the only way he could get it wasto compel the chief to conduct him to its place of concealment. Thishe had decided to do; and when the Don went below to renew his searchfor Archie, Pierre accompanied him; and after leading him into adeserted room in a remote corner of the rancho (one of the few whichhappened to be unlocked), he ordered the Don to show him where thecoveted gold was hidden. Frightened by the sight of the knife whichPierre brandished before his eyes, the chief would have gladlycomplied with the demand, but, for the simple reason, that he couldnot get into the room where his treasure was concealed. The key wasattached to the bunch in Archie's pocket. He had long ago missed thekeys from their accustomed nail in his room, but he did not know whathad become of them.
"I don't can do it, Meester Bierre," groaned the Don, for thetwentieth time. "I don't got de key. It's lost."
"You can't make me believe that story," replied Pierre, tightening hisgrasp on the Don's throat, and raising his knife as he spoke. "Oncemore, and for the last time, where is it?"
The Don's answer was cut short by an interruption that was as suddenas it was unexpected. Two figures glided quickly into the room, andwhile one stopped to close and lock the door, the other ran straightup to Pierre, and presented a cocked revolver in his face. The robber,who had been so fully occupied with the Don that he had not heard thesounds of the ax, or the noise occasioned by the struggle at the door,was astonished beyond measure. The hand in which he held the knifefell slowly to his side, his under jaw dropped down, and he shrunkaway from the muzzle of the revolver without uttering a word.
"Ach!" exclaimed the Don, who was no less amazed than Pierre, "hereish von of dese leetle poys!"
"Here are both of them," said Archie, who, having succeeded in findinga key to lock the door, now hurried up with a pistol in each hand."Well--by--gracious! Pierre Costello!"
Archie was as much astonished at finding himself in the presence ofhis old enemy, as his cousin had been. He bent down and gazedearnestly into Pierre's face, and then straightened up and leveledboth his pistols at the robber's head. "Why, Frank!" he exclaimed,"it's he, sure enough."
"I know it. This is not the first time I have met him to-night. Dropthat knife," he added, sternly, addressing himself to Pierre. "Now,stretch yourself out on the floor, face downward, and put your handsbehind your back."
The Ranchero, at this moment, did not act much like the reckless,desperate man he had appeared a short time before. The sight of thepistols took all the courage out of him; and he obeyed both Frank'scommands without an instant's hesitation. The sash, which the latterwore around his waist, answered all the purposes of a rope, and Pierrespeedily found himself as helpless as though he had been indouble-irons.
The Don, in the meantime, had regained his feet, and stood watchingall that was going on with a smile of great satisfaction on his face.The astonishment occasioned by the unexpected appearance of the boys,was, for the moment, lost sight of in the delight and thankfulness hefelt at finding himself released from the power of his enemy.
"Now, dis ish all right," said he, gleefully. "It's petter you makesdat rope pooty fast, leetle poys. Ach! I fix you, Meester Bierre," headded, shaking his clenched hand at the prostrate robber; "I makesblenty droubles for you, mine friend. Come mit me, leetle poys; Ishows you de way out, now."
Frank and Archie were not in the least surprised at this proposition.It was a part of their plan to compel the Don to guide them out of therancho, and they knew that he would readily consent. They knew, too,that he was as treacherous as an Indian, and that he would bearwatching. It was their intention to keep as close to him as possible.
"Go ahead, Don," said Archie, taking the lantern from the table; "butbear one thing in mind, and that is, at the very first exhibition oftreachery on your part, we will shoot you with as little hesitation aswe shot Old Davy this morning."
The chief earnestly protested that the boys need have no fears on thatscore. They had done him a great service in saving him from the knifeof Pierre Costello, and he would repay it by showing them the way outof the rancho. Besides, he was not foolish enough to attempt anytreachery, while those three loaded pistols were so near him. The boyslistened to all he said, but did not believe a word of it. It was notreasonable to suppose that he would permit them to escape, when heknew that, as soon as they reached home, they would tell their friendsevery thing that had happened at the rancho. They were as wellsatisfied that he had some plan in his head, as if he had told themso; but they were resolved to watch him so closely that he would haveno opportunity to carry it out.
When Archie picked up the lantern, the Don started toward a door atthe farther end of the room, which, upon being opened, revealed anarrow stone stairway leading up to the rooms above. As they wereabout to ascend these stairs, a loud crash in the adjoining room,followed by a chorus of hoarse yells, told the boys that the Rancheroshad at last succeeded in cutting down the door. The Don would havestopped to inquire into the cause of the disturbance, but hiscompanions pushed him on; and while Frank watched him to see that hedid not escape, Archie overhauled his keys until he found one thatwould lock the door. This done, the Don led the way up the stairs, theboys following close at his heels.