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-The Project Gutenberg eBook, Jack Straw in Mexico, by Irving Crump,
-Illustrated by Leslie Crump
-
-
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
-other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions 
-whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of
-the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at 
-www.gutenberg.org.  If you are not located in the United States, you'll have
-to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.
-
-
-
-
-Title: Jack Straw in Mexico
-       How the Engineers Defended the Great Hydro-Electric Plant
-
-
-Author: Irving Crump
-
-
-
-Release Date: December 16, 2019  [eBook #60941]
-
-Language: English
-
-Character set encoding: UTF-8
-
-
-***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JACK STRAW IN MEXICO***
-
-
-E-text prepared by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
-(http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by
-Internet Archive (https://archive.org)
-
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-      See 60941-h.htm or 60941-h.zip:
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-      Images of the original pages are available through
-      Internet Archive. See
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-
-
-JACK STRAW IN MEXICO
-
-
-[Illustration: “The door was pushed violently open”]
-
-
-JACK STRAW IN MEXICO
-
-How the Engineers Defended
-the Great Hydro-Electric Plant
-
-by
-
-IRVING CRUMP
-
-Illustrations by Leslie Crump
-
-
-
-
-
-
-New York
-McBride, Nast & Company
-1914
-
-Copyright, 1914, by
-McBride, Nast & CO.
-
-Published September, 1914
-
-
-
-
-CONTENTS
-
-
-    CHAPTER                                             PAGE
-
-        I JACK STRAW’S MISSION TO MEXICO                   1
-
-       II “IN SELF DEFENSE”                               17
-
-      III SEASICK                                         26
-
-       IV AT ODDS WITH CUSTOMS INSPECTORS                 40
-
-        V IN THE HANDS OF THE SECRET SERVICE              50
-
-       VI ON TRIAL AS A SPY                               58
-
-      VII OFF FOR NECAXA                                  67
-
-     VIII THE CRIPPLED GENERATORS                         79
-
-       IX JACK PROPOSES A TRAP                            88
-
-        X FOOTPRINTS                                     100
-
-       XI SEARCHING FOR THE MAN WITH THE SCARRED HEEL    108
-
-      XII THE DRAWINGS ARE STOLEN                        119
-
-     XIII A WEAKENED GARRISON                            129
-
-      XIV THE NIGHT WATCH                                139
-
-       XV IMPROVISED SEARCHLIGHTS                        151
-
-      XVI A WARNING                                      162
-
-     XVII WHO WILL BE FOOD FOR THE VULTURES              174
-
-    XVIII THE WIRES ARE DOWN                             184
-
-      XIX TO THE RESCUE                                  193
-
-       XX “SHOOT! SHOOT!”                                205
-
-      XXI “YES, YES, I DID IT”                           216
-
-     XXII GOOD-BY NECAXA                                 226
-
-
-
-
-THE ILLUSTRATIONS
-
-
-    The door was pushed violently open         _Frontispiece_
-
-                                                 FACING PAGE
-
-    To Jack it all seemed like a horrible nightmare       58
-
-    They pressed against the barrier like cattle         178
-
-    The horsemen in green swept down the valley          198
-
-
-
-
-JACK STRAW IN MEXICO
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER I
-
-JACK STRAW’S MISSION TO MEXICO
-
-
-Five members of the “D” club had gathered in Jack Straw’s room on the
-top floor of Phillip’s Hall the last Saturday afternoon before the end
-of the Spring term. They had not assembled in official conclave, indeed
-they had not intended to assemble at all. They had merely gravitated
-there one by one in search of something to take their minds off the
-worst disappointment they had been compelled to face that year. The
-Drueryville-Seaton baseball game, the one that was to have settled the
-preparatory school championship of Vermont, had been scheduled for that
-Saturday afternoon, and, lo and behold, in spite of the importance of the
-day, Jupiter Pluvius or whoever it was that controlled the rain supply,
-had made the game impossible by deluging everything in sight since early
-morning. And there was no chance of postponing the contest either as
-school closed the following Friday. The championship would have to remain
-undecided. And this was just the year Drueryville stood a better chance
-than ever of adding the “prep” cup to her trophy case. It was enough to
-make anyone glum.
-
-“They should have named this place Drearyville instead of Drueryville,”
-muttered Toad Fletcher, the stocky little catcher of the team, as he
-looked across the deserted campus at the dripping eves of Bradley Hall.
-
-John Monroe Strawbridge, who was known to every boy in school as Jack
-Straw, shifted his position on the window seat so that he could take
-another look at the weather.
-
-“It is pretty gloomy on a day like this,” he answered after searching the
-leaden sky for some signs of a break in the low hanging storm clouds.
-
-Jack and Toad were too dejected in spirit for conversation and since
-Bunny Baily was deeply engrossed in a book of fiction and Dick Cory and
-Harvey Maston were working out an absorbing game of checkers silence
-reigned in the room for some time. In fact a stranger passing the door
-would never have suspected that five perfectly normal, healthy boys
-were within. But then the “D” club was composed of the honor boys of
-Drueryville Academy and for that reason if no other, they were bound
-to be more dignified at times. You see the “D” club was made up of the
-students who had won the privilege of wearing a white and blue initial,
-the insignia of the school, on their caps or jersey; and in order to earn
-that distinction a boy must needs work hard both in the class room and on
-the athletic field. When a youth successfully attained such laurels the
-crown _was_ apt to weigh heavily.
-
-How long the clicking of checkers would have remained the only sound is
-hard to tell had not Tommy Todd happened to see Jack Straw curled up in
-the window seat. He paused a moment before Phillip’s Hall and waved his
-hand in friendly greeting. Then he splashed across the muddy road and
-came up the stairs three steps at a time. Like a small portion of the
-storm itself (for Tommy was by no means a big boy) he burst into the
-room, his yellow raincoat and rubber hat dripping wet.
-
-“Say, don’t flood the place!” shouted Jack as he noted two growing pools
-of water on the rug.
-
-But Tommy only grinned as he removed his wet garments and draped them
-over the back of a chair so that they would drip on the hearthstone.
-
-“Sort of hard luck to have a day like this happen along just when it
-isn’t wanted,” he suggested to no one in particular. Then without waiting
-for a response he looked at Jack and spoke.
-
-“Say old man, I can’t think what on earth you’ve been up to recently,
-but there’s something in the wind. Dr. Moorland wants to see you as soon
-as possible. I just came from his house and he asked me to look you up.
-I was going on downtown first because the last place on earth I ever
-expected to find you was in your own room. What’s the trouble anyway?
-You haven’t done something that will keep you from getting through next
-week, have you? It’s mighty close to the end of the term and I hope
-you’ve been careful.”
-
-At this Cory and Maston suspended their game for a moment and Bunny Baily
-put down his book. All eyes were turned on Jack Straw. And as for Jack,
-it must be confessed he looked startled and somewhat worried. Hastily he
-ran through his mental diary, but so far as he could see no one entry
-stood out above the rest as warranting reprimand from the principal.
-
-“I haven’t the slightest idea what he can want of me,” he assured his
-guests as he hastened into his bedroom and donned raincoat and rubbers.
-A few moments later he hurried out into the hall and down the broad
-stairs toward the main entrance. As he passed the mail rack in the hall
-he noticed a letter waiting for him. Hastily he seized it and crammed it
-into his pocket, noting as he did so that the address was written in his
-father’s hand.
-
-Dr. Theodore Moorland, the principal, lived in a modest little cottage on
-the north side of the campus. It was almost hidden in a grove of tall
-maples and, as if to make itself more inconspicuous, it had permitted
-woodbine and ivy to clothe its gray stone walls in a cloak of soft green.
-A graveled road that wound between fat old maples showed the way to the
-front door, and it was up this much used path that Jack Strawbridge
-hastened, his mind still puzzled over the reason for such an unusual
-command. The heavy old-fashioned door to the cottage was equipped with
-a ponderous brass knocker of quaint design which thumped with such
-resonance as to spread consternation in the soul of youngsters summoned
-thither. Thus they were thoroughly disturbed before they even faced the
-austere old master.
-
-Such was not the attitude of Jack Straw, however. He had not been able
-to remember a single reason why he should expect to face a scolding
-from Dr. Moorland. Every examination paper had come back with excellent
-markings and his conduct for some time past had been beyond reproach.
-He thumped the old door knocker twice in his eagerness to find out just
-what the master wanted. Perhaps it was news from home, he thought, and
-he comforted himself by the fact that nothing serious had happened to
-his father, for the letter in his coat pocket attested to the fact that
-he was still well enough to write. But while he was speculating thus the
-door was opened by Dr. Moorland himself.
-
-The dignified pedagogue greeted the boy with a broad smile and a hearty
-hand shake.
-
-“I didn’t know but what you and some of the rest of the boys had about
-grieved yourselves to death over your ill luck at having the championship
-game broken up by the weather,” he said as he ushered Jack into his study
-in a secluded wing of the house.
-
-“It is rather hard on us,” said Jack with a smile. “Here we’ve been
-working since February to get our team in shape for the trophy contest
-and then a little thing like the weather spoils it. Next year I think we
-will have to arrange to have the championship game a little earlier so
-there will be enough time to play it in case of an emergency like this
-one.”
-
-“Never mind, Jack, my boy,” said the principal, “I have a mission for you
-that is calculated to take your mind off baseball and similar troubles
-for some time to come.”
-
-The boy was plainly puzzled at this remark. He looked curiously at the
-principal who was striding the room nervously. Dr. Moorland was a tall,
-broad shouldered man of sixty. His hair was snow white and so long in
-back that it curled down over his coat collar. A pair of horn rimmed
-spectacles that were constantly sliding forward on his nose made him
-appear to be a testy individual, but in reality he was a genial old
-gentleman who loved his boys as much as if he was the father of every one
-of them. The State of Vermont counted him among the best of its educators
-and he was famed throughout the country, indeed throughout the world as a
-chemist.
-
-“Jack,” he said after a long silence, “how would you like to go to
-Mexico?”
-
-“To Mexico!” gasped Jack.
-
-“Yes, to Mexico. It will be an opportunity for you to see a wonderful
-country and also to make enough money to pay your tuition at Drueryville
-next year. Do you care to go?”
-
-“Why—why—Oh, I’d be delighted—but—well I’d have to get father’s consent
-first, you know.”
-
-“Ah, Jack, you don’t suppose I would have suggested the subject before
-consulting your father about it, do you? I wrote him several days ago and
-asked his permission to let you go. I received word this morning that he
-was perfectly willing to have you avail yourself of the chance to see a
-little of the world providing you cared to go. I wonder that he hasn’t
-written to you about it.”
-
-“Why, perhaps the letter I have in my pocket now is about that very
-thing,” said Jack, searching in his pocket for the envelope.
-
-“Very likely,” said the principal, “but you can read it after. Let me
-explain exactly what I want you to do. When you have heard the details
-you can decide better whether you want to go.”
-
-Dr. Moorland had ceased pacing the room and settled deep in his
-comfortable study chair. With what seemed exasperating deliberateness to
-Jack, he removed his huge glasses and polished them thoroughly on his
-handkerchief before he was ready to talk. Then just as he was about to
-begin he seemed to remember something else of importance, for he began to
-search drawer after drawer of his desk until he finally brought to light
-a large yellow envelope bulging with what appeared to be blueprints. He
-tossed the package on the desk before him and once again resumed his
-comfortable attitude.
-
-“Perhaps you never heard of my nephew, Harry Ryder. In fact, I am quite
-certain you haven’t, for he has never visited Drueryville since you’ve
-been at school. Harry Ryder is the chief engineer of the enormous
-hydro-electric power plant at Necaxa where light and power is supplied
-for Mexico City, the capital, one hundred and twenty-five miles away. He
-was appointed to that important position by President Madero a year ago,
-and he has done his best to keep Mexico City lighted in spite of all the
-trouble in that turbulent republic, and the recent change to the Huerta
-régime.
-
-“Time and again rebels have tried to break down the four transmission
-lines that carry the current to the city but they have never yet been
-successful and I judge from Harry’s letters that he never intends they
-shall. But besides rebels, Harry has other important things to contend
-with. Up there in the mountains where the plant is located, thunderstorms
-are quite frequent and lightning is the troublesome element. Lightning
-is electricity in its most dangerous form, because of its very high
-voltage. Voltage, you know, is the pressure which causes it to travel.
-One of our scientists once tried to measure lightning and found that its
-voltage mounted well into the millions. This is tremendous force when you
-consider that the current used in lighting houses and stores is supplied
-at one hundred and ten volts.
-
-“During thunderstorms the lightning plays about the transmission lines,
-often causing a great deal of trouble. If it should by any chance get
-into the station it would raise havoc with the generators and other
-machinery. To prevent this, lightning arresters have been constructed
-that will waylay the lightning, as it were, and send it into the ground
-before it reaches the vital machinery.”
-
-Here Dr. Moorland paused and began to sketch rapidly on a piece of paper
-while Jack looked on, still very much mystified.
-
-[Illustration: Dr. Moorland’s Sketch]
-
-“The usual transformer is arranged something like this. First a choke
-coil is put in the transmission line near the end. When the lightning
-strikes this coil it piles up and is forced back exactly like a flying
-wedge of football players that suddenly tries to break through an
-impregnable defense. The lightning that is thus forced back rushes into
-line ‘A,’ which is the point of least resistance, jumps the horn gap and
-plunges through the arrester tank and into the ground. When the excessive
-electricity has left the line and the flow is normal, the current is
-checked at the horn gap and arrested. This combination of gap and
-arrester does not permit current to flow into the ground during normal
-operation and does not actually become active until lightning gets into
-the line and there is danger of the plant being wrecked by an overload of
-electricity.”
-
-“My, but that is interesting,” said Jack Straw as he fingered the
-master’s sketch. Indeed, he had been so carried away with the description
-of that interesting piece of engineering work that for the moment he had
-completely forgotten about Mexico. But Dr. Moorland revived his interest
-with his next sentence.
-
-“And now for my reason for wanting you to go to Mexico. The lightning
-arresters now in use are not entirely satisfactory, and Harry Ryder
-has been trying to build one on completely new lines. Indeed, he has
-perfected the contrivance, except for a neutral chemical solution of a
-new nature for which he asked me to construct a formula. He forwarded his
-drawings for me to look over and now I am ready to send them back. But a
-few weeks ago, Harry communicated with me and asked me to take particular
-care that the drawings reach him safely. In fact, he suggested that they
-be sent to him by messenger instead of by the mails. You see, Mexico is
-in a state of extended turmoil now with Villa, Carranza and Zapata all
-carrying on campaigns against Huerta, and under such conditions the mails
-are not trustworthy. In fact, I understand from Harry that three-quarters
-of the mail is destroyed by revolutionary forces and that the rest of
-it is left lying in almost any corner of the republic until it can be
-distributed.
-
-“These drawings,”—Dr. Moorland fingered the bulky yellow envelope as he
-spoke,—“are far too valuable to trust to such mail service and since
-Harry is willing to meet the expenses of a messenger and at the same time
-pay him for his services, I can see no reason why you should not be the
-one to take them safely to Necaxa.”
-
-“Why, I’d be delighted with the undertaking, if you think I can do it
-satisfactorily,” said Jack.
-
-“And why can’t you do it satisfactorily?” demanded the principal rather
-bruskly. “Any boy whom the students of Drueryville honor by electing
-captain of the football team for two successive seasons certainly must
-have some good qualities. You are strong and healthy. You are not a
-coward and above all you are reliable. These are qualifications that I
-could not find in every man. Will you go, Jack?”
-
-“Yes, I will. When do I start?” asked the boy enthusiastically, and from
-the expression on his face it was evident that he was pleased with the
-confidence the old master had in his ability to carry out the mission.
-
-“A steamer sails from New York on Saturday next. I would like to have you
-be on board when it leaves the dock for I am more than eager to have the
-drawings back to their owner and the responsibility off my mind. Then,
-too, I am afraid the hostilities in Mexico might become more serious.
-You will have a week to prepare for the journey, and since I have looked
-up all your examination papers and found them above the proper rating I
-will excuse you from school for the last week of the term and you can
-spend that time with your father, for I know he has many things to say
-to you. You can leave Drueryville on the ten o’clock train to-morrow
-morning after you have called here to receive final instructions and the
-precious drawings. And now you must hurry back to your room and pack.
-Good afternoon and good luck to you.”
-
-It was a rather serious moment for Jack when he shook hands with Dr.
-Moorland. He realized that the old schoolmaster was putting great trust
-in him. It was in truth a struggle for him to hide his emotions as he
-bade the old man good afternoon.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER II
-
-“IN SELF-DEFENSE OR A CAUSE THAT IS HONORABLE”
-
-
-Townsend Strawbridge, Jack’s father, lived alone in what was left of
-a once very large estate in the upper end of the pleasant Champlain
-Valley. The old dwelling was located on the outskirts of the village of
-Middlebury less than fifty miles from Drueryville, and it was toward
-this point that Jack hurried as soon as he received the precious yellow
-envelope and final instructions from Dr. Moorland.
-
-Mr. Strawbridge had in his day suffered a double misfortune through
-losing his wife and his money almost at the same time. His story was
-the same as that of many others in that region of the country. He had
-discovered outcroppings of another section of the rich marble vein that
-runs from one end of the Champlain Valley to the other and almost
-bisects the State of Vermont. Lured on by the vast fortune that certain
-other men were making in marble quarrying, Mr. Strawbridge sought to
-develop his own property. All the money he had saved, as well as all
-that he could borrow on mortgages, was invested in quarrying machines,
-derricks and the like. With these and a force of burly Canadian quarrymen
-he went to work, opening quarry holes in what had once been the farm’s
-pasture lot.
-
-But unfortunately he had not been able to gather together money enough
-to more than to tide him over the early part of the operation. This
-consisted in removing the top soil and breaking away the upper layers
-of worthless stone, a condition he had not reckoned with. The result
-was that when the channeling machines were finally put to work to get
-out the first blocks Mr. Strawbridge found himself unable to finance
-the undertaking much longer. He tried to borrow more money, but before
-he could successfully negotiate a loan the quarrymen called a general
-strike throughout the State and the men at the Strawbridge quarries
-went out with the rest. The strike affected the entire valley and every
-one was pressed for money. Instead of making new loans old accounts were
-called in, and since Mr. Strawbridge had no way of meeting his debts, the
-mortgages on his property were foreclosed. However, he had steadfastly
-refused to mortgage his house and the property on which it stood. Nor
-would he jeopardize his interest in the old pasture lot where the
-quarries were located; consequently these sections alone were saved to
-him.
-
-On top of all this trouble Jack’s mother died. This was almost more
-than Mr. Strawbridge could stand and for several years he was very much
-depressed. But gradually he was mastering his unhappiness. He was, in
-fact, working on a plan to organize a company and develop his marble
-quarries and this served to keep his mind occupied enough to prevent
-unpleasant memories from creeping in.
-
-Naturally his son was very dear to him. In fact, he and Jack were more
-like chums than father and son. In summer, during Jack’s long vacation,
-they would go hunting and fishing together and have a thoroughly good
-time in general. In the fall and winter, when Jack was at Drueryville,
-Mr. Strawbridge made weekly visits to the old academy, just for the
-pleasure of being able to chat with Jack and his schoolboy companions.
-
-Considering this mutual affection it may seem strange that his father
-was willing to let Jack spend his vacation in Mexico, but then, as Mr.
-Strawbridge said in his letter to Jack sanctioning the trip, “It is an
-opportunity that you cannot well miss, as it will give you a chance to
-see a very wonderful country. If you do not avail yourself of this chance
-you may have to wait a long time before I can afford to pay the expenses
-of such a journey. Besides, you will be able to earn enough money to pay
-your tuition next year which also counts for a great deal because I am
-now using every penny I have at my command to re-establish my fortune.”
-
-When Jack reached home that Sunday afternoon after leaving the academy,
-Mr. Strawbridge was for putting by his plans for organizing a quarry
-operating company and devoting the entire week to his son. But Jack
-would not hear to this, for he was thoroughly interested in the work of
-reopening the quarries. Mr. Strawbridge was well pleased at this and
-explained all the intricacies of issuing stock and organizing a company
-until the boy had secured an excellent insight into business of this
-nature. Many hours were spent in wandering over the old pasture lot and
-climbing in and out of the quarry holes. They even visited other quarries
-that were being successfully operated in the vicinity of Middlebury.
-
-But though they were employed in working out the more serious problems of
-life they did find time to go a-wandering beside babbling trout brooks
-with their fly rods. Altogether they crowded more enjoyment into that one
-week than they really expected and Friday morning came all too soon for
-both of them. This, in spite of the fact that Jack was looking forward to
-his voyage to Mexico with as much enthusiasm as ever.
-
-After breakfast the last morning before his departure Jack went over
-the contents of his valise to see that nothing important had been
-overlooked. While he was thus engaged his father asked him to step into
-the library for a moment. When Jack entered the room Mr. Strawbridge was
-seated at his desk and before him lay a huge blue steel Colt revolver, a
-well-worn leather holster and a cartridge belt studded with brass ends
-of many cartridges. Jack had often viewed this weapon in his father’s
-room and occasionally he had been allowed to fire it at a target when his
-father was at hand.
-
-“My son,” said Mr. Strawbridge kindly as he patted the heavy six-shooter,
-“you have been greatly honored by your principal, Dr. Moorland. He has
-asked you to undertake a mission of importance. He has entrusted you with
-valuable drawings, the loss of which would mean the ruination perhaps of
-a man’s most important contribution to the scientific world. All this
-has pleased me a great deal for I find satisfaction in knowing others
-besides myself have faith in your ability to carry out an undertaking. Do
-everything you can, my boy, to have them retain this faith. I realized
-when I gave you permission to go to Mexico that I was letting you take
-your life in your own hands. This worried me a great deal at first, but I
-would not for anything in the world cheat you of the honor of making that
-journey successfully. You will be traveling most of the time among people
-to whom human life is of little value. These people are violent and
-warlike. They are uneducated and untrained, and all the time that you are
-in their country your life will be in danger. For that reason I am going
-to give you this revolver. Take it and use it only in self-defense or in
-a cause that is honorable. If others believe that you are to carry out an
-important task I am ready to believe that you are careful enough to know
-how to use a weapon of this kind and not misuse it.”
-
-Jack’s heart beat fast as he took the heavy holster and cartridge belt
-from the desk. He always liked to feel it in his hands, and to examine it
-closely. He had been accustomed to firearms of all kinds, but this huge
-army revolver fascinated him because of its massiveness.
-
-“Father,” he said finally, “I shall be as careful with this as you have
-been, and you can be certain that whatever use it is put to will be
-honorable.”
-
-“Jack, I believe you,” said Mr. Strawbridge heartily, as he grasped his
-son’s hand.
-
-The rest of the day Jack and his father devoted to planning the details
-of his trip and at four o’clock Mr. Strawbridge opened the heavy door
-of his private safe and took the yellow envelope from the compartment
-in which it had been reposing since Jack’s arrival from Drueryville. He
-also took a heavy waterproof wallet from the safe and emptying the papers
-contained therein gave it to Jack with instructions always to keep the
-precious drawings in it. The wallet, with drawings inside, Jack placed
-in an inner pocket of his coat, taking good care first to see that there
-were no small holes that might become enlarged by the weight of the
-package, thereby providing a way for it to slip through. Shortly after
-that the village bus drove to the door and Jack and his father bundled
-inside. Thus did our hero depart on the first stage of what was to prove
-an unusual adventure.
-
-The express from Montreal that was to take him to New York was in the
-station when he arrived and Jack had but a very few minutes to say a last
-good-by to his parent. In fact, the train started as they were shaking
-hands and Jack just had time to toss his bag to a dusky Pullman porter
-and swing aboard.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER III
-
-SEASICK
-
-
-Fortunately Dr. Moorland had arranged all the details concerning Jack’s
-sailing and had forwarded his steamship ticket and stateroom reservation
-to him while he was still in Middlebury, otherwise he never would
-have made the Pringle Line pier before the sailing hour. Somewhere
-south of Albany a freight train had been wrecked during the night and
-in consequence the entire line had been tied up for three hours. The
-Montreal express had merely crawled along for the greater part of its
-journey and when Jack awoke the next morning he found to his dismay that
-it had many miles to go before it reached the Grand Central depot. In
-fact, when it finally pulled into the train shed the young traveler had a
-little more than half an hour in which to reach the Brooklyn dock.
-
-Valise in hand he stood on the platform of the first car when the long
-train rolled in. And while the brakes were yet crunching against the
-wheels he leapt down, to the imminent peril of a colored porter whom he
-nearly bowled over in his mad haste to reach Forty-second Street. Down
-the long concourse and through the waiting-room he hurried until he
-finally gained the sidewalk. There he hailed the first taxicab in sight.
-Pausing only a moment to give the driver hasty instructions, Jack plunged
-inside and immediately was being whisked through New York at top speed.
-
-But with all this hustle and bustle he came very near to missing the
-boat. Indeed he was among the last aboard. All but one gang-plank had
-been hauled in and the few remaining visitors were being hastened ashore
-by the stewards when he finally gained the deck and paused to catch his
-breath. She was a long low white-hulled steamer that sailed under the
-name of the _Yucatan_ and her seaworthiness was apparent even to Jack,
-who had never before set foot on a ship’s deck.
-
-The first thing that the boy from Drueryville Academy did after
-locating his stateroom was to see that the wallet with its precious
-contents was secure in its proper place. His mind at ease on this
-point, he immediately returned to the deck, for he was eager to see
-the sights of New York harbor. The _Yucatan_ was slipping past the
-lower end of Governor’s Island and the entire skyline of Manhattan was
-spread out before his admiring gaze. But presently, as the ship passed
-Tompkinsville, his attention was diverted to three huge gray vessels with
-queer basket-like masts that were anchored just off the Staten Island
-shore. He recalled that a United States Navy coaling station was located
-in that vicinity and concluded that this was the reason for the presence
-there of three of the largest of Uncle Sam’s battleships.
-
-And as these vessels faded in the distance a new delight was revealed to
-him. The _Yucatan_ was steaming down the Narrows toward the lower bay
-and on either bank Jack beheld the many innocent looking grass-grown
-terraces of Fort Wadsworth and Fort Hamilton behind which the deadly
-disappearing guns of the harbor defense are concealed. The mere sight of
-these embankments with the Stars and Stripes whipping in the breeze above
-them made the young Vermonter thrill with patriotism, and for the first
-time in his life he realized fully how glad he was that Yankee blood
-coursed through his veins. And as he stood there almost spell-bound by
-this picture of silent power, some one at his elbow spoke to him.
-
-“They look almost impregnable,” said the stranger, whereat Jack turned to
-find himself addressed by a tall, good looking man whose face was tanned
-to a ruddy brown, and whose eyes sparkled with as much enthusiasm as his
-own.
-
-“Indeed they do, and I am proud of them,” our young friend replied with
-feeling.
-
-“So am I, son; so am I,” said the other with equal fervor. “And every day
-I feel more grateful to Providence for making an American of me. You’ll
-appreciate it too after you have traveled in foreign lands a little
-while.”
-
-Jack instinctively liked this man. He was so heartily enthusiastic about
-America and everything American that the boy could not help but admire
-him. Indeed he found him decidedly interesting as a companion and they
-chatted away about everything in general until the _Yucatan_ reached
-Sandy Hook. Here the stranger brought forth a pair of binoculars and
-scrutinized the beach and the Atlantic Highlands beyond until he located
-the object of his search. Then he passed the glasses to Jack, saying as
-he did so:
-
-“Here, look at the greatest lighthouses in the world. See those two
-towers standing out of the foliage over there on the hill. The reflection
-of their lights can be seen seventy miles out at sea.”
-
-After a search Jack found them. They appeared like the towers of some
-medieval castle connected by a long low brick structure.
-
-“Are those the Sandy Hook Lights?” he queried.
-
-“No,” said his companion, “they are officially known as the Navesink
-Lights. The Sandy Hook Light is that old octagonal white tower over
-yonder. That is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, lighthouse in
-America. It was built by the British Government in 1764 and during the
-Revolutionary War the King’s soldiers used it as a military prison.
-Not long ago when they were making some improvements in the foundation
-a dungeon was unearthed in which were found several human skeletons,
-evidently Colonial soldiers imprisoned there and not liberated when the
-lighthouse was abandoned. Now if you will turn your glasses off to the
-right you will be able to see the Sandy Hook Lightship. That little
-cockleshell of a craft is there winter and summer fighting every storm
-and fog that comes up. She’s in competent hands, however, for the captain
-is a master mariner.”
-
-Jack was exceedingly interested. He wondered how his companion came to
-know so much about lighthouses and lightships and several times he was
-on the point of asking him. This, however, was not necessary, for a few
-moments later the information was furnished quite voluntarily.
-
-“By the way,” said the stranger, after Jack had finished scrutinizing
-the tossing lightship, “I’ve neglected to introduce myself. My name
-is Warner, James Warner, I am supposed to be a marine engineer. You
-understand; a builder of lighthouses, concrete dykes and all that.”
-
-“And I am John Strawbridge of Drueryville Academy, but since Strawbridge
-is a rather large mouthful I suggest you call me Jack Straw. It’s
-handier, you know.”
-
-“Jack Straw, eh? Well, that’s corking,” said Mr. Warner heartily,
-clapping the boy on the back. “Where are you bound for, Jack? I’m on my
-way to Tampico. President Huerta, of Mexico, has just given me a contract
-to rebuild the foundation of the Lobo’s Island Light. That is one of the
-most important coast markings in Mexico.”
-
-“I’m bound for Necaxa, by way of Vera Cruz and Mexico City,” said Jack,
-who had already begun to feel like a seasoned traveler.
-
-“Necaxa,” exclaimed his companion; “why that’s where the big
-hydro-electric power plant is located. That’s where Mexico City gets
-its light from. Harry Ryder, the engineer in charge of the plant, is an
-old chum of mine. In fact, we were classmates at Sheffield Scientific
-School.”
-
-“Why, he’s the man I am expecting to visit there,” said Jack, somewhat
-surprised at the fact that Mr. Warner knew Dr. Moorland’s nephew. He
-refrained, however, from telling his companion the reason for his journey.
-
-“Well, that’s mighty interesting,” replied the marine engineer. “I
-haven’t seen Harry Ryder in more than two years, though I’ve kept in
-touch with him. He’s a very capable fellow, and he deserves the honor
-of being in charge of the largest electric station in Mexico. He won
-the office, you know, about a year or so ago. President Madero held
-competitive examinations in Mexico City. Harry carried off the highest
-honors. But from what he told me he was rather hard pressed by several
-other good electrical engineers, both Americans and Mexicans. I guess he
-expected to lose his position when Huerta won the revolution and deposed
-Madero. But the new president reappointed him.”
-
-Jack was greatly pleased to learn that Dr. Moorland’s relative was so
-well liked by his former classmate. It served to increase his interest in
-the man whose plans he was carrying and he concluded that his visit to
-Mexico was destined to be very pleasant with Mr. Ryder as his host. He
-became silent after that, for his thoughts were far away, anticipating
-his sojourn in the land that Cortez conquered. The voice of Mr. Warner
-interrupted this pleasant mental occupation.
-
-“Look over there on the horizon. That’s a storm cloud. I rather think
-it’s fixing for a blow. Do you ever get seasick?” he queried.
-
-“Well, I’ve never had an opportunity to find out,” said Jack, “for you
-see this is my first experience on salt water.”
-
-“Well, you’ll know within an hour. It’s freshening up now and before long
-the boat will be pitching around like a Mexican burro, a beast you are
-destined to become acquainted with before you have traveled in Mexico
-very long.”
-
-Jack smiled at Mr. Warner’s simile, but it was not long before he noticed
-that the long rolling swells had changed to white crested waves that
-pounded against the steel sides of the _Yucatan_ with a hiss and a shower
-of salt spray. The pitching of the ship had increased, too, by the time
-he and Mr. Warner went below for luncheon. Indeed, he found it rather
-hard to follow his companion across the dining saloon without seeming to
-stagger. At the same time he began to feel very peculiarly. It was as if
-he had been swinging around and around so violently that he had finally
-become very dizzy. He tried his best to hide his feelings from Mr.
-Warner, hoping that he would be a little better after he had eaten. But
-his companion looked at him sharply as he took his seat at the table and
-Jack was certain that he saw the semblance of a smile about the corners
-of his mouth. This nettled the boy and he determined that he would master
-the peculiar feeling immediately. About that time, however, the waiter
-placed a plate of hot soup before him. Jack looked at it once and all his
-self-control vanished. Somehow the sight of food made him extremely ill
-and without even the formality of excusing himself he pushed back his
-chair and bolted for his stateroom.
-
-Life hardly seemed worth living to Jack Straw during the next three
-days for he was so ill that he could not stir out of his stateroom.
-The _Yucatan_ pitched and rolled as if she was being tossed about for
-a plaything by some very inconsiderate giant, and it frequently seemed
-to the boy that the steel hull was on the point of foundering under the
-heavy seas that broke against it. Nor did Jack care particularly whether
-it did or not.
-
-Several times he made an attempt to leave his stateroom, believing that
-he would feel very much better if he could only reach deck. But each time
-he left his berth he became so nauseated that he was glad to climb back
-again. Mr. Warner made three efforts to visit him but Jack had bolted the
-door against all intruders, including a solicitous steward who tried to
-persuade him to drink a cup of tea and eat some hot toast.
-
-On the morning of the fourth day out, however, he awoke to find himself
-much relieved. To be sure he was very weak, but the sea had gone down
-and walking was not the effort it had been before. He found himself able
-to eat a light breakfast and later he managed to reach his steamer chair
-into which he sank with a sigh of relief. He was not the only passenger
-convalescing. Indeed all the occupants of the steamer chairs were pale
-and weak appearing and Jack found a great deal of satisfaction in knowing
-that others had been affected by the storm.
-
-The _Yucatan_ was plowing her way through the dark blue water of the
-Gulf, riding the long lazy swells with graceful ease, and to Jack, who
-had never before been out of sight of land, the vast stretch of water
-was awe-inspiring. The vessel seemed small and insignificant out there
-all alone and he wondered how Columbus and other early adventurers had
-ever found courage enough to sail for weeks over untraveled seas knowing
-so little of their destination. In fact, how mariners could navigate a
-vessel even with present-day charts and equipment seemed a mystery to the
-boy from Vermont.
-
-Late that afternoon while Jack was trying to get interested in a book
-that he had brought from his stateroom, Mr. Warner appeared on deck.
-“By George,” he exclaimed as he caught sight of Jack, “you’re not the
-boy with whom I was talking a day or so ago! Why, you look as pale as a
-ghost. You must have had a rather disagreeable few days. Well, we did run
-through something of a blow and I guess you weren’t the only one who was
-seasick. To tell the truth, I felt a little squeamish myself for a time.”
-
-“I think it was about the most unpleasant sensation I ever had,” said
-Jack.
-
-“You are right,” said Mr. Warner; “but most of us have to experience
-it sometime. Well, you are headed straight for your destination now. I
-expect we will reach Tampico by late to-morrow night or the following
-morning, and after that it is only a day to Vera Cruz. I am rather
-glad I came across you here, for I’ve a lot of figuring to do on some
-specifications I brought with me and I may not have an opportunity to see
-you again before I land. I’ll say good-by to you now and let me wish you
-the very best of luck in Mexico. Be sure and remember me to Harry Ryder
-when you see him and tell him also that I may find an opportunity to
-visit him if I am in Mexico long enough.”
-
-Jack shook his hand warmly, for he had come to like the marine engineer a
-great deal.
-
-“I am sure we shall see each other again some day,” he said as they
-parted company.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IV
-
-AT ODDS WITH CUSTOMS INSPECTORS
-
-
-Though it was hardly daylight Jack was up and dressed and on deck when
-the Mexican pilot came aboard to take the _Yucatan_ into Vera Cruz. A
-filmy blue mist was rising from the broad surface of the harbor, making
-the white walled seaport seem like a dream city. Dawn, like twilight, in
-the Tropics is of brief duration, and the boy from New England scarcely
-had time to mark the fleeting changes of color along the eastern horizon
-before the sun came up, dispelling at once the lingering night mist. And
-with the coming of day the city and the harbor became alive. Tiny sail
-boats put out and from wharves and jetties here and there puffing tugs
-made their appearance.
-
-Jack Straw watched the scene with eager interest. It was all so new and
-so very unlike what he had expected that he became thoroughly fascinated.
-Off to the right he beheld the frowning walls of the old fortress and
-military prison of San Juan de Ulloa. He recalled stories he had heard of
-its dungeons where numberless horrible executions had taken place, and he
-wondered how many enemies of Huerta lingered there at the present time.
-From this grim building he turned his attention to the city. The spires
-of the cathedral showed high above the housetops, and as Jack caught
-sight of them there arose the most confused jargon of metallic sound that
-he had ever heard. It was as if a regiment of blacksmiths were beating
-on cracked anvils. He did not learn until he landed that these sounds
-emanated from the belfry of the cathedral and were caused by a group of
-bell ringers bent on calling the population to early mass.
-
-In due time, after port inspectors, quarantine officers, and a host of
-other uniformed individuals had climbed aboard and inspected every one
-and everything in sight, the _Yucatan_ was permitted to make her way
-slowly to the Pringle Line wharf.
-
-Jack, valise in hand, was among the first down the gang-plank, but he had
-hardly put foot on the dock before he was accosted by another uniformed
-attendant who spoke very poor English. The boy managed after a great
-deal of effort to understand that he was one of the customs inspectors
-and that he was about to make an examination of the contents of the
-valise. Jack willingly unlocked the leather bag and permitted the swarthy
-searcher to tumble its contents about until he became convinced that the
-youth had nothing on which he could collect duty. But he did not seem
-satisfied. He looked at Jack from head to heels, noting particularly each
-one of his pockets. Then suddenly he pointed to where the leather wallet
-and drawing made the boy’s coat bulge slightly.
-
-“What—ah—have. Ah—you—ah—er—” he puzzled his brain to know how to finish
-the sentence in English. But finally becoming exasperated he tapped
-Jack’s coat violently with his fingers.
-
-“_Aqui! Aqui! Aqui!_” (here! here! here!) he demanded. Jack did not
-understand the Spanish, but he knew that the leather wallet interested
-the inspector. He hesitated to produce it at first and tried to satisfy
-the dark-visaged little man by telling him that it was only a wallet. But
-the Mexican would not be contented and in the end the boy had to reveal
-to him the contents of the yellow leather case. At the sight of the blue
-prints and sketches the native became thoroughly aroused. He tried to ask
-questions in English but became so very confused that he resorted to his
-native tongue and talked a perfect stream of Spanish. And of course Jack
-was unable to understand a word of it.
-
-Then the Mexican beckoned the young American to follow him, pointing at
-the same time to a long low stone building near by which Jack concluded
-was the custom house. Together they hurried across the street, the
-inspector chattering so hard that Jack’s protests were lost completely.
-
-The man led the way through several rather poorly kept offices to the
-far end of the building, where they entered what was evidently the
-room of the Chief Inspector of the port. An elderly and very dignified
-old gentleman was the sole occupant. He was seated at a desk in the
-far corner, but at their coming he arose and advanced to meet them.
-Immediately the little inspector became thoroughly animated. He opened
-the wallet (upon which he had kept a firm grip since Jack gave it to him)
-and spread the drawings on the table before his superior, talking very
-fast all the while. Together the two Mexicans examined each sketch, then
-finally the old man turned and spoke to Jack.
-
-“Do you converse Mexican?” he queried and Jack shook his head.
-
-The Chief Inspector clapped his hands twice, whereat a servant appeared,
-to disappear immediately upon receiving a few abrupt instructions.
-Shortly after the servant entered again followed by a light-haired
-youth of about Jack’s own age, and undoubtedly an American. The boy
-from Vermont was decidedly pleased, but before he could speak the Chief
-Inspector addressed the newcomer, pointing to the drawings and the
-wallet at the conclusion of his remarks.
-
-“He wants to know what these drawings are,” said the interpreter; “he
-thinks that you are a spy in the employ of the revolutionists and that
-these papers are very important.”
-
-“Please tell him,” said Jack with a smile, “that the drawings are
-valuable only to one person and he is the man who is making the
-electricity which lights President Huerta’s palace and the streets of
-Mexico City.”
-
-There was a decided change in the attitude of both officials when this
-was translated for them. The Chief Inspector bowed and smiled most
-apologetically.
-
-“So, Señor Ryder. He is your friend?” he said; “he is a—” but he could
-get no further with his English, so he addressed the rest to the
-interpreter who imparted it to Jack.
-
-“He says that Mr. Ryder is a very wonderful man and that if you are his
-friend he is sorry that he detained you. You are free to go now,” said
-the American, and Jack, after thanking the dignified old Mexican, tucked
-the wallet into his pocket and left the office. In the corridor of the
-building he was overtaken by the interpreter, who paused a moment to
-speak.
-
-“My name is Dave Anson,” he said, “and if I can help you any, while you
-are in Vera Cruz, just let me know. I always like to help out a fellow
-countryman.”
-
-“You have done a great deal for me already,” said Jack, “for if it had
-not been for you I am afraid I would have found myself in a mighty
-unhappy position. I certainly am obliged to you.”
-
-“Oh, don’t mention it,” said Anson, then in an undertone he added, “Don’t
-let the old chap deceive you. I could see he was rather skeptical about
-what you said, but he is afraid to detain you any longer for fear you
-might have a little more pull than he has, so he let you go. Don’t worry;
-you’ll be shadowed every minute that you are in Vera Cruz, so mind your
-actions. Well, so long and good luck to you.” The two boys shook hands
-warmly and parted.
-
-Jack gave little thought to his recent experience after he left the
-custom house, for he had a great deal to attend to. First of all he must
-find a banking house where he could get his American money exchanged for
-Mexican currency. Dr. Moorland had given him the address of one of the
-few honest banking firms in Vera Cruz, and after a long search he located
-the place. He was very much surprised to find that for every one of his
-American dollars he received two Mexican dollars in exchange. Indeed, his
-capital was doubled and when he left the bank his trousers’ pockets and
-wallet were weighted down with huge silver coins. Jack’s next object was
-to find the railroad terminal, and since an English speaking clerk had
-given him explicit directions as to its location he experienced little or
-no difficulty in finding the long low building with its dirty trainshed.
-
-A great many of the railroad men in Mexico above the grade of brakemen
-are Americans and the young traveler had very little trouble at the
-station. He learned, however, that he had two hours to wait before the
-next train to the capital would be made up, and after buying his ticket
-and making Pullman reservations he checked his valise and started on a
-trip about the city.
-
-Through hot unshaded streets he wandered, peering into the curious little
-shops and watching with interest the swarthy people. Finally he reached
-the broad plaza with its imposing cathedral, bandstand and line upon line
-of park benches. Here he sat down to rest and watch a score of dirty,
-half-clad children playing on the sidewalk. They were apparently taking
-part in a game and Jack tried very hard to understand the details of it.
-Indeed he became so interested that he did not realize some one had taken
-the seat beside him until he felt a hand upon his arm.
-
-“_Un centavo, Señor, un centavo_,” pleaded a whining voice, and Jack
-found himself accosted by a very ugly and dirty-looking Mexican with a
-monstrous hat. Though the lad did not understand his language he had
-little difficulty in guessing that the man was begging for money. Eager
-to be quit of such an uncouth companion he took several small coins from
-his coat pocket and dropped them into the beggar’s outstretched palm.
-But as he did so he looked up to find a man on a bench not far distant
-watching him closely.
-
-He was rather well dressed when compared to others Jack had noticed about
-the city, wearing an unusually large sombrero of much better texture than
-that of the beggar’s. The brim and band about the crown was embellished
-with Indian beadwork which made it very picturesque. On being observed
-this man lowered his eyes and began to roll a black paper cigarette, nor
-did he look up again until Jack left the bench and started across the
-plaza. However, he watched the lad’s movements from the corner of his eye
-until the Vermonter turned toward the street that led to the railroad
-terminal. Then he arose and followed at a distance.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER V
-
-IN THE HANDS OF THE SECRET SERVICE
-
-
-Although the train for Mexico City was due to leave Vera Cruz promptly on
-the hour, it was forty minutes late when it started to get underway. This
-slight disregard for schedule did not surprise Jack, however, for already
-he had discovered this natural failing of all Mexicans. The Pullman
-coach in which he had secured accommodations was fortunately one of a
-number of American-built cars that had been taken over the Rio Grande
-and into Mexico from time to time during the extension of the national
-railroad system, and in consequence the young traveler did not suffer
-much from lack of comfort. Before he had traveled very long Jack realized
-that he had embarked upon the most interesting portion of his journey
-to the power plant. The train sped along through the most wonderful
-country that he had ever seen. Now he was racing through deep ravines
-with perpendicular walls of rock rising so high that daylight was almost
-shut out and perpetual twilight reigned. From this he was whisked into
-broad valleys with mountain ranges towering on either side. And often
-the tracks led high up on the sides of one of these mountains, revealing
-a broad panorama of tropical country, with Popocatepetl, the monstrous
-volcano, in the distance.
-
-Now and then Indian villages were passed and Jack caught fleeting
-glimpses of a group of thatched huts and adobes and crowds of naked
-children and half-clad men and women who stared stolidly at the train
-as it shot by. Occasionally a stop was made at some large town and
-picturesque groups of Mexicans gathered at the station to stare in
-wonderment at the passengers. Always these groups were made up entirely
-of men, for the women had far too much to do to waste time idly watching
-trains. These men were a motley throng, all wearing high-crowned,
-broad-brimmed hats and gaily colored _serapes_, or blankets, which
-they hugged close about them in spite of the heat. The better dressed
-wore trousers that were extremely tight fitting. The others, however,
-wore frayed and tattered garments made of everything from sail cloth to
-sacking and ungainly sandals bound across the arch and around the ankle
-with long buckskin thongs. Not a shoe did Jack discover among them.
-
-What with the scenery and the picturesque towns and villages, Jack’s
-interest was kept out of doors for several hours. But eventually even
-the novelty of traveling through a foreign country grew wearisome and he
-turned his attention to a book that he had stowed away in his traveling
-bag. He had not been reading long, however, before he began to be
-troubled by a strange presentiment that some one was watching him. Quite
-involuntarily he glanced up from the page he was perusing and looked into
-the bead-like eyes of a native who was occupying a Pullman chair at the
-other end of the car. Instantly the Mexican’s eyes were turned away. The
-lad became suspicious immediately, for he recognized the man as the one
-who had watched him in the plaza at Vera Cruz. There was no mistaking
-him, for he wore the same big-brimmed sombrero with its curious beadwork
-binding.
-
-Jack instinctively put his hand to the pocket where he kept the wallet
-of drawings, for he had a vague feeling that this man was interested in
-them, though he really could not understand why he should be since they
-had not been exhibited at any place save in the custom house. Then he
-suddenly recalled the young American interpreter’s warning that he would
-probably be closely watched at all times! Was this man shadowing him?
-Had he been trailed all through Vera Cruz? The thought angered him and
-he glanced at the Mexican again. That individual, however, had removed
-his big hat and was gazing calmly out of the window, as if he did not
-know that Jack Straw ever existed, and his unconcerned manner caused the
-young traveler to wonder whether this second meeting was only a strange
-coincidence after all.
-
-Jack tried to resume his reading, but it was not long before his mind
-was far from the printed pages and busy evolving a plan whereby he could
-become certain as to whether the tall Mexican was watching him or not.
-Soon the train began to slow down for another stop and on the instant the
-American got an idea. He waited until the train came to a full stop; then
-as if he suddenly realized that this was the station he wanted to get off
-at he jumped up and seizing his traveling bag bolted for the door.
-
-It was all done so quickly that the Mexican was taken completely off his
-guard. When he saw the boy rush for the door he gave one hurried glance
-up the car, then followed as fast as he could. By the time he reached the
-door, however, Jack had alighted and was racing along the side of the car
-to the rear platform where he swung aboard and returned to the seat he
-had just vacated. He had successfully lost the Mexican for five minutes
-at least, for the man searched up and down the station platform and in
-all directions trying to locate the Vermonter. Then, purely by accident,
-he looked toward the train again and saw Jack smiling at him from one of
-the windows.
-
-It was evident from his distorted features that the native was thoroughly
-enraged. He plunged for the train which was already underway and swinging
-aboard hurried into the Pullman car, brandishing a huge army revolver as
-he advanced. Several women passengers screamed and every man in the car
-put his hands above his head when they saw the angered native striding
-down the aisle. They were certain that the train had been boarded by
-highwaymen and that they were about to be asked to turn over their
-valuables. But the Mexican disregarded the disturbance he had caused. He
-put the muzzle of the ugly revolver against Jack’s breast and hissed:
-
-“You, gringo, you are arrest for a spy of the revolution. Not holler.”
-
-But Jack did not intend to “holler.” With the hard nose of the gun
-pressed against his ribs he did not hesitate to put his hands above his
-head as the other men in the train had done.
-
-“You are arrest by that great Secret Service of Mexico,” said the native
-very impressively; “give me up your guns.”
-
-“I have no guns that are dangerous,” said Jack Straw, and he spoke the
-truth, for the big Colt that his father had given him reposed unloaded
-and quite harmless in the bottom of his valise. But the Mexican refused
-to believe him.
-
-“Give up or I make of you an examination,” he said, trying hard to be
-courteous in spite of his outraged temper.
-
-“Search,” said Jack, “only let me put my arms down.” And the detective
-forthwith began to go through his pockets while the other passengers,
-many of whom were Americans, gathered around and looked on. One of the
-first things that the detective did was to confiscate the yellow wallet
-with the drawings. His eyes sparkled with pleasure when he opened it.
-
-“Ah! Señor, it is for these you will be shot, maybe. You are a bad
-gringo,” he said with an evil chuckle.
-
-“They are only working drawings of a machine,” protested Jack.
-
-“Yes, a war machine, I think,” said the Mexican, continuing his search
-for firearms. Finally, after finding nothing more formidable than a
-jack-knife, the officer put his own revolver away and informed Jack that
-he might sit down and be at ease until they reached Mexico City. He
-warned the boy, however, that any attempt on his part to leave the car
-would call forth the huge revolver again, and since Jack had no desire
-to learn how good a marksman the Mexican was he refrained from rising
-from his Pullman chair for the rest of the afternoon. The Secret Service
-man sat directly opposite, his dark eyes never moving from the lad from
-Drueryville.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VI
-
-ON TRIAL AS A SPY
-
-
-The lights of Mexico City were a welcome sight to the young American.
-Never had a train ride seemed so long. The Secret Service guard refused
-to allow him conversation with his fellow-passengers and as the
-circumstances were too strained to permit his reading with any degree
-of interest, Jack had little to do but gaze out of the window and think
-over his misfortune. The moment the train rolled into the station, the
-detective hustled Jack to the military barracks in the heart of the city.
-It was almost midnight when they were challenged by the white-clad sentry
-before the heavy double gates of the enclosure. Jack’s captor answered
-with a few brief sentences in Spanish and the gates were unbarred to
-let them pass. Inside another sentry located the officer on duty and he
-and the Secret Service man held a short conference. A few moments later
-two privates were summoned. They took charge of the young Vermonter,
-escorting him toward the far end of the long barracks buildings, where he
-was locked into a stuffy unlighted cell in the guardhouse.
-
-[Illustration: “To Jack it all seemed like a horrible nightmare”]
-
-To Jack it all seemed like a horrible nightmare. Here he was a prisoner
-in the capital of a strange country. He had no knowledge of the language
-spoken by those with whom he had to deal, nor did he have friends or
-relatives within several thousand miles. His only hope in being delivered
-from his rather serious position lay in the possibility of calling Harry
-Ryder to Mexico City so that he could identify his drawings and explain
-how they came to be in the possession of some other person. But Jack was
-not altogether certain that this could be done, or if it could be done,
-whether his captors would be willing to take that much trouble to prove
-him innocent. At first he had taken the arrest more or less as a joke,
-but as he reviewed the various stories he had heard of the Mexican idea
-of justice, he became very much worried. He knew the punishment meted
-out to a spy and he wondered whether that would be his end. With such
-thought parading through his brain, he had little chance for sleep that
-night. Indeed he heard a big clock beyond the barracks walls toll every
-hour from midnight until dawn.
-
-At seven o’clock breakfast was brought to him by an uncouth looking
-private in a dirty white uniform. The meal consisted of _tortillas_, made
-of corn flour, and _frijoles_, which are black Mexican beans. There was
-not even a cup of water with which to wash it down. Though Jack had had
-very little to eat the day before, the sight of the mess brought by the
-soldier sickened him, and he put the tin plate aside untouched.
-
-An hour later an officer with four privates came into the guardhouse
-and unlocked the door of Jack’s cell. The lad observed that each of the
-soldiers carried a shining rifle at port arms and the officer entered
-with sword drawn. At this he became speechless with horror. Was this
-a firing squad! Was he going to be executed without the formality of
-trial? He was almost too weak to walk when the officer spoke to him in
-Spanish and motioned for him to come forth. Silently the soldiers formed
-behind him and urged him forward out of the guardhouse and on to the
-parade grounds.
-
-His heart-breaking suspense ended there, however, when he noted the
-direction in which the soldiers turned him. Instead of marching out into
-the center of the enclosure they headed directly for a building that
-looked very much like a large dwelling. To the young American it appeared
-as if it might be the home of the commander of the barracks. He hoped it
-was, for in that case he could be certain of some form of trial at least,
-during which he could doubtlessly explain about the drawings.
-
-The boy was ushered before the austere old General by the officer alone,
-the guard remaining on duty before the door. The commander was seated
-at a desk in the center of a well-lighted, cheerful-looking room, a
-uniformed orderly at his elbow. The other occupant of the room was
-the Secret Service man who had arrested him the day before. Both were
-poring over the drawings of the lightning arrester which the detective
-had confiscated, while on the corner of the officer’s desk was Jack’s
-traveling bag which had been forced open, possibly for the purpose of
-finding other evidence against him.
-
-The detective and the officer looked up as the youth entered. Jack’s
-officer escort saluted and retired to the rear of the room, leaving the
-lad standing in the middle of the floor alone. The detective cleared his
-throat and spoke.
-
-“I shall be what you call the interpreter. I spik Mexican, I spik also
-Inglis. Shall you be content?” he queried.
-
-“I will be contented if you will believe what I tell you,” said Jack
-rather curtly. “It is ridiculous to arrest me as a spy. I am an American
-citizen and those drawings are not war plans or details of a ‘war
-machine,’ as you suggested yesterday. They are plans for an electrical
-appliance that is to be built by Mr. Harry Ryder, in order to give better
-light to Mexico City.”
-
-The detective looked at him with doubt plainly written on his
-countenance. Then he turned and in rapid fire sentences imparted Jack’s
-story to the general. The officer also appeared to doubt the youth’s
-statement. He was silent for a few moments, however, while he pondered
-the situation; then through the interpreter he asked:
-
-“Why does Mr. Ryder trust his valuable papers to you?”
-
-“Because he didn’t care to trust your unreliable mail service,” said Jack
-vindictively.
-
-The wrath of the detective was stirred immediately.
-
-“Mexico is a great country. She has a dependability of mail service. You
-are a gringo who spies for the revolution. Do not tell me not. I saw you
-with my own eyes pass some secret something to a sympathizer in the plaza
-at Vera Cruz. Ah, but he are arrest already and your secret is now known.”
-
-Jack was startled at first. Then as he recalled the whining beggar in the
-plaza he laughed heartily.
-
-“Why, he was only a beggar. I gave him a few coins. You are making a
-mountain out of a mole hill, Mr. Detective. Why not have done with all
-the foolishness by summoning Mr. Ryder from Necaxa? He will prove that
-the drawings are his and that I am no spy.”
-
-The General and the Secret Service man debated this suggestion for some
-time. Evidently they thought it a good idea, for the officer presently
-began to use the telephone at his elbow while the detective talked to
-Jack.
-
-“We will call Señor Ryder. General Rodriguez say the great electrical
-engineer is in Mexico City now. He spoke with him in the café last
-evening. He will come maybe, and then if you can prove, you must prove.
-If you don’t, you will be shot to-morrow.”
-
-The commander ceased his telephoning after a few moments and spoke to the
-interpreter, who, turning to Jack, announced:
-
-“Señor Ryder is at the office of the Compania de Luz y Fuerza Montriz in
-Calle de Tetuan. He will be here quite soon.”
-
-The General and the Secret Service agent spent the next fifteen minutes
-smoking numerous black paper cigarettes and talking quite excitedly to
-each other while Jack was left standing in the center of the room. The
-waiting was ages long for the American. But finally there sounded the
-tooting of an automobile horn and roar of a motor from the parade ground
-outside and a moment later a tall fine-looking American, clad in linen
-trousers and soft shirt, entered the commander’s office.
-
-Jack stepped forward instantly and held out his hand.
-
-“Mr. Ryder,” he said, “I am John Strawbridge, Dr. Moorland’s messenger.
-I have been arrested and am being held as a spy because I happened to
-have your drawings in my wallet. You see it excited the curiosity of the
-customs inspector yesterday and the result is I am in the hands of the
-Mexican Secret Service to-day. I sincerely hope that you can get me out
-of this rather disagreeable position; otherwise I’ll furnish the target
-for a firing squad to-morrow morning.”
-
-“Why, this is ridiculous,” said Mr. Ryder as he saw his drawings spread
-out before General Rodriguez. Then he began to talk in Spanish to the
-natives. A few moments conversation was all that was necessary to
-convince the Secret Service agent and the officer that a serious mistake
-had been made, and each was profuse in his apologies to Jack Straw.
-
-“It is a great regret that I arrest so honorable friend of Señor Ryder,”
-said the detective with a sweeping bow. “I hope you will pardon, Señor.”
-
-And Jack showed the sort of stuff Americans are made of by stepping
-forward and warmly shaking hands with the Secret Service agent and the
-commander.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VII
-
-OFF FOR NECAXA
-
-
-Jack was not long in discovering that Harry Ryder was a prince of
-companions. After the little incident at the barracks they were fast
-friends. Of course the engineer was somewhat older than the boy from
-Drueryville, having just turned twenty-nine, but withal he was decidedly
-boyish in spirit. The big gray motor car that stood in front of the
-commander’s house was the engineer’s latest toy and nothing would do
-but that Jack should accompany him on a tour of the capital of “this
-benighted country,” as he termed Mexico. And he made an excellent guide.
-
-Until long after midday they went flying up one street and down another,
-while Mr. Ryder pointed out all the places of interest. First they
-visited the Plaza Mayor, or Zocalo, as it is frequently called. And
-while Jack was noting each interesting detail about the imposing public
-buildings, the Cathedral and the National Palace, the engineer explained
-the history of that remarkable section of the City of Mexico.
-
-“This,” he said, “was the heart of the Aztec capital four hundred or more
-years ago. Indeed, that building over there, the National Palace, was
-constructed on the very site of the splendid palace of the old Indian
-ruler Montezuma. And as for the Cathedral, that is built on the very
-foundation stones that held the wonderful Tecalli, the Aztec temple,
-where from twenty to fifty thousand lives were sacrificed annually to the
-powerful Indian deity Huitzilopotchli. The present Cathedral with its
-towering spires was erected in 1573 and is the most imposing edifice of
-its kind in the whole of North and South America.”
-
-From the Plaza Mayor they turned to other interesting portions of the
-community. The famous tree under which Cortez is said to have wept was
-pointed out by Mr. Ryder; also the various monuments and buildings
-associated with the old Spanish adventurer. They traversed the causeway
-over which Cortez retreated and ultimately visited Chapultepec where the
-Indian rulers once maintained magnificent dwellings.
-
-It was nearly one o’clock when the car rolled into the heart of the city
-again and stopped before the door of the American Hotel. There Jack and
-the engineer climbed out, but before Mr. Ryder entered the hotel he
-inspected his new machine thoroughly.
-
-“That’s a great plaything,” he said enthusiastically. “I bought it a
-month ago, and I usually arrange to get into the city every Sunday to
-take a drive. You see I have to leave it here because there is no roadway
-out to Necaxa, only a pack train trail and our narrow-gage railroad.
-I couldn’t very well use it out at the power plant anyway for it’s a
-trackless wilderness there.”
-
-On entering the hostelry the two Americans lost no time in finding the
-dining-room, for the drive had given them both a ravenous appetite. They
-ate in silence for a time, for the business of satisfying their hunger
-was of great importance. But when coffee was finally served and each
-felt that they had done credit to the ample portions afforded to them,
-Mr. Ryder began to talk.
-
-“You know, Jack, I think it was mighty lucky for you that I happened
-to be in Mexico City. Otherwise you would probably have been compelled
-to spend several days in jail. And it is even possible that they would
-not have taken the trouble to send to Necaxa for me. A Mexican’s idea
-of justice is rather crude. Frequently they shoot a suspect and then
-debate his guilt or innocence over his body. Old Rodriguez and his Secret
-Service friend were quite positive that you were a spy, and I am afraid
-that the cartridges with which you were to be executed had already been
-dealt out, figuratively speaking.”
-
-Jack shuddered as he thought of his narrow escape.
-
-“I guess that I _was_ very fortunate having you so near at hand,” he said.
-
-“Well, I’ll be quite honest with you, Jack, this visit to Mexico City
-was not a matter of choice with me. I was requested to appear before the
-officials of the company and old Huerta himself. You see things have
-been in a devil of a mess at the plant recently and we have had some
-trouble in keeping the old city supplied with enough light. I fancy it
-has been getting on Huerta’s nerves and he has been calling the company’s
-officials to account. They in turn pass the calls along to me.
-
-“You see some of the hundred or more workmen at the plant have developed
-revolutionary ideas. They seem to be Zapata sympathizers and they are
-doing all they can to make things unpleasant for Huerta. They have been
-crippling machinery from time to time, tampering with the searchlights,
-putting dirt in the bearings of the generators and raising the dickens in
-general. Of course this reflects on my management and I feel rather ugly
-about it all. But the men who do it keep pretty well under cover. I wish
-that I could find out just which of the greasers are the trouble makers.
-I’d have them line up against the station wall and drilled through with
-some of their own soft-nosed bullets. That may sound a little inhuman,
-but honestly one cannot afford to treat them otherwise. As a matter of
-fact their fate is not in my hands. The moment we discover a sympathizer
-the rurales stationed at the plant as special guards take the matter in
-their own hands and all that we hear of the case after that is the report
-of the carbines. Oh, they make very little bones about human life down
-here. And that reminds me, have you provided yourself with a protector in
-the form of a revolver? If you haven’t we’ll see that you are supplied
-with one before we start back for the plant this afternoon.”
-
-“I have my father’s big blue steel Colt,” said Jack with pride. “It’s
-right here in my traveling bag. But I haven’t much ammunition, only the
-cartridges in the belt.”
-
-“Well, you’d better buckle it on your hip when we start. You will
-probably find a great deal of comfort in having it handy all the time
-you remain in Mexico. Why, you should see our plant. It’s a veritable
-fortress with its rows of trenches, its barbed-wire barriers, its
-squadron of rurales and detachment of infantry. And our working force
-is drilled to do some fine defense work too. We are all equipped with
-Mauser rifles and we have a battery of new French rapid-fire guns and
-a three-inch fieldpiece that can throw a shell clean over the top of
-the nearest mountain. We know it will do that for not long ago we had
-occasion to bombard a handful of Zapatistas from a position on the cliffs
-a mile away. The rats had an old fieldpiece and they managed to get a
-couple of solid shot down through the roof of a storehouse near the
-plant. Oh, we have had an interesting time out there for the last eight
-or ten months. The Zapatistas have been hovering around like a swarm
-of bees. They haven’t managed to do much damage, however, but we never
-know when they will be joined by other mobs of guerrilla soldiers who
-are operating in that section of the mountains. When that happens then I
-guess we can look for real trouble.
-
-“I arranged with General Rodriguez last night to have another detachment
-of infantry accompany us to the plant this afternoon. I think it would be
-wise to strengthen the guard out there at any rate. We are going out on a
-train of flat cars that will be ready to move shortly so I guess we had
-better be getting ready. I’ll drive you over to a gunsmith’s and you can
-get all the ammunition you want, then we’ll start for the railroad.”
-
-At the gunshop Jack laid in five hundred rounds of ammunition. This
-seemed a ridiculously large amount but Mr. Ryder assured him that it
-was wise to be on the safe side in such matters. Several other stores
-were visited where Jack purchased some clothing suggested by Mr. Ryder
-for service at the plant. The most important purchase was one of the
-huge sombreros such as the natives wear. This was secured at a little
-hat booth on one of the side streets. Jack was amazed at the size
-of some of these hats and while he was looking over the assortment
-offered, Mr. Ryder explained that the natives were very vain about
-their hats. He said that in former days the wealthy Mexicans vied with
-each other to see who could wear the hat with the largest brim and the
-most costly embellishments. This competition reached the point where it
-finally became a public nuisance, for the big hat brims were decidedly
-objectionable on crowded thoroughfares or street cars. The federal
-government finally took the matter in hand and imposed a tax of a certain
-amount for every four inches of brim over a stipulated size. This
-ordinance put the hat brims at a universal width.
-
-After the shopping they hurried back to the hotel where Mr. Ryder always
-maintained a room. Their clothes were changed and garments of the
-rough-and-ready sort adopted. Jack felt very self-conscious as he buckled
-on the heavy revolver and donned the high-crowned sombrero, but he did
-his best to hide it from his companion. On his way out of the hotel,
-however, he surreptitiously glanced at his reflection in one of the large
-mirrors and found to his great satisfaction that such toggery was not at
-all unbecoming. He secretly resolved to have some photographs made which
-he intended to take back to Drueryville when he returned.
-
-The train that was to carry them out to Necaxa was, as the engineer had
-said, nothing more than a string of flat cars with a yellow caboose at
-the end. It was a narrow gage railroad that was built especially to carry
-supplies to the power station, one hundred and twenty-five miles back in
-the mountains.
-
-Two of the flat cars were heaped high with boxes of provisions and
-barrels of flour, all on the way to the little community at the power
-house. Three other cars were occupied by the detachment of infantry from
-the barracks. The soldiers were not a prepossessing lot, Jack thought, as
-he viewed them. They were uniformed alike, of course, and for the most
-the uniforms were in rather good order though somewhat dirty. Their hats
-were not unlike the forage caps of the United States troops during the
-Civil War, with the exception that they were higher in the crown. The
-men were all dark skinned and ugly looking, and the young American was
-quite certain that as enemies they would probably be decidedly vicious
-customers.
-
-Three officers accompanied the detachment but they held themselves
-aloof from the rest of the soldiers, sharing the caboose with Jack and
-Mr. Ryder. They were tall, fine-looking specimens of Mexican manhood,
-very jaunty in their gold-braided uniforms, and Jack found them very
-companionable after they became acquainted, for they could speak English
-after a fashion and some of the war stories they told helped to make the
-slow journey into the mountains less tedious.
-
-On leaving Mexico City the train started to climb immediately for the
-way was entirely up grade, the plant being situated at a higher altitude
-than the capital. As a result of this and the unusually heavy load, the
-little engine made slow progress. Indeed, at some points in spite of its
-snorting and puffing it could not go on and the men were forced to get
-down from the flat cars and walk, thereby lessening the load. Because
-of this slow progress it was long after nightfall when Jack discovered
-a long pencil of light reaching out across the sky. It looked weird and
-uncanny off there in the solitude of the mountains. But as he watched it
-began to move along the ridges, searching out each valley and depression.
-Then Jack understood. It was the huge searchlight at the plant, looking
-among the hills for lurking bands of Zapatistas.
-
-The lad watched the light travel from point to point until finally it
-located the supply train, which it escorted all the way to the station,
-illuminating the tracks just ahead of the engine.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VIII
-
-THE CRIPPLED GENERATORS
-
-
-It was a veritable fortress that Jack entered when he left the caboose
-of the supply train. Before him, on a slight eminence, was the massive
-building of the power station with the searchlight mounted on the
-roof. The grassy slope below was marred by a double line of trenches
-unoccupied, of course, save for one or two white-clad sentinels who paced
-back and forth restlessly. On the lawn between the first trench and
-the station, the lad noted a bulky object covered with canvas. This he
-immediately decided was the three-inch fieldpiece about which Mr. Ryder
-had spoken. To the north of the station was the irregular outline of many
-small cottages. As the searchlight threw its rays in that direction, the
-boy observed that nearly all of them were constructed of wood and erected
-after the fashion of the cottages furnished to the quarrymen in Vermont.
-There were also several long low shed-like structures which he learned
-later housed the soldiers. The entire community did not occupy more than
-five or six acres and was entirely cut off from the surrounding country
-by barbed wire barricades. Indeed, the place looked well-nigh impregnable
-to the American. To approach from the north, south or west, invaders
-would have to get through the mass of barbed wire first and carry two
-lines of trenches before they reached the station, and as far as the east
-side of the plant was concerned, approach in that direction was made
-impossible by the roaring mountain stream that furnished water to the
-station’s turbines.
-
-The enclosure became a perfect bedlam a few moments after the supply
-train rolled in. To the roar of the river and the grumble of the huge
-generators inside were added the shouts of the soldiers detraining and
-unloading the supplies. The entire barracks had turned out to welcome the
-reinforcements, for it happened that they composed two companies of the
-same regiment. Altogether Jack estimated that there were more than 200
-men ready to defend the place against the rebels, not including the squad
-of twenty-five rurales who were stationed there to patrol the surrounding
-country. The rurales, the lad learned, were not soldiers in the stricter
-sense of the word. They are maintained by the Mexican Government to
-do practically the same work as that required of the famous Canadian
-mounted police; which is to rid the country of bandits, smugglers and bad
-men, and run down the outlaws that hide in the mountains. They are far
-better drilled than any of the Mexican troops and are well equipped with
-clothing and firearms. Their horses are the best that Mexican dollars can
-buy. These men ride exceptionally well, shoot almost as accurately as the
-Texas ranger and are brave and fearless. A Mexican president who believed
-in the old saying that “it takes a thief to catch a thief,” organized
-the rurales years ago when the country was infested with bandits and bad
-men. Every time one of these men was apprehended he was forced to join
-the rurales and hunt down bandits. In this way his vicious nature was
-well satisfied and at the same time he was able to consider himself a
-law-abiding citizen, which usually appeals to all individuals who have
-been outlaws for any length of time. To Jack these soldier-policemen were
-very picturesque as they swaggered about in their dark-green, tightly
-fitting uniforms and broad-brimmed hats. He noticed, however, that they
-did not associate with the white-clad regulars, but stood apart in a
-little group by themselves and watched the other men unload the cars.
-
-Mr. Ryder and Jack lingered long enough to see that the unloading was
-well under way before they turned toward the station.
-
-“I’ve a strange premonition that the troublemakers hereabout have taken
-advantage of my absence,” said the engineer as they approached the
-office. “I would not be surprised to find the plant dynamited some day.
-These rebel sympathizers will go the limit to make it disagreeable for
-old Huerta.”
-
-The office of Ben Nedham, first assistant engineer, was vacant. When Mr.
-Ryder saw this he looked worried. Immediately he bounded up the spiral
-iron staircase to the balcony-like control room where the switchboards
-were located. Allen Lyman, a tall light-haired American in charge of that
-section of the plant, advanced to meet him, and his face also bore a
-troubled look.
-
-“They’ve been at it again, Mr. Ryder,” he exclaimed. “We haven’t been
-able to carry the load all evening. Machines five and six are out of
-commission. Couldn’t even start them. Nedham and a gang are down there on
-the generator floor now trying to patch them up.”
-
-“What is the trouble?” demanded the engineer, his brow wrinkled by a
-perplexed frown.
-
-“Well, some one got in after two o’clock this morning, evidently, and
-threw a bucket full of fire sand into the gears of both machines. Nedham
-has had only one watchman here and he must have gone to sleep.”
-
-“Have you heard from Mexico City yet?” demanded Mr. Ryder anxiously.
-
-“No, not yet, but we can gamble that the lights are mighty dim there.
-Shouldn’t wonder but what we’ll get a call before the night is over.”
-
-He had hardly completed the sentence when the telephone bell on the desk
-in the center of the room jangled sharply.
-
-“Dollars to doughnuts that’s Mexico City now,” exclaimed Lyman as he
-removed the receiver. A moment he talked with the man on the other end of
-the line; then he beckoned to Mr. Ryder.
-
-“It’s President Huerta himself,” he said, holding his hand over the
-transmitter. “He’s as mad as a Mexican bull too. Wants to speak with you.”
-
-For fifteen minutes the chief engineer attempted to explain the situation
-to the country’s executive, and in the meantime Jack busied himself
-trying to puzzle out the reason for all the switches, knobs, handles
-and indicators on the huge marble switchboard that extended all the way
-around the circular room. He knew that all the machinery in the station
-was controlled from that board, but just how it was done he had not the
-slightest idea. He decided, however, to take advantage of the first
-opportunity and learn the function of each of the mysterious looking
-black rubber handles.
-
-Mr. Ryder left the ’phone apparently thoroughly angry. He paced the
-narrow room for some time before he uttered a word. Finally, pausing
-before the desk again, he brought his fist down with a resounding blow.
-
-“By Jupiter,” he thundered, “this _must_ stop or I’ll know the reason
-why. The old man is as peeved as a wet hen and I don’t blame him. He
-informed me that we had made a failure out of the most important state
-function of the year simply because the palace was so poorly lighted.
-They had to resort to smoky oil lamps to help out. He was furious. Told
-me the city looked like an Indian village, it was so dark. Oh, if I could
-only get my fingers on the villains who did this work!”
-
-Thus did he storm to Jack and the operator until he became thoroughly
-out of breath and was forced to pause. Then turning he called Jack and
-started down the spiral stairs again. Three flights they descended until
-they reached the floor of the generating room. Six huge generating units
-occupied the space. They were great black monsters of steel that looked
-like so many mastodons chained to the floor. Water was roaring down from
-the forebay through four of the massive penstocks that supplied the
-turbines, but the other two were silent. Around each of these silent
-machines was gathered a group of workmen. They had unbolted the steel
-protecting plates and were assiduously wiping the sand from the delicate
-armature bearings. Some of these workmen were Americans but there were a
-number of Mexicans among them, many of whom were distinctly of the peon
-class, with bared feet and shabby garments.
-
-As Jack and the engineer hurried across the floor a short, dark-haired
-American advanced to meet them.
-
-“We’ve trouble on our hands this time!” he exclaimed. “The two machines
-are full of sand and we won’t be able to get them cleaned until long
-after midnight.”
-
-“Well, how did it happen, Nedham?” demanded Mr. Ryder. “You were in
-charge while I was away and you are responsible. Are you going to let
-this plant go to the devil? I got a good blowing up yesterday from the
-board of directors and here to-night President Huerta himself had me on
-the long distance telephone. Told me flatly that things would have to go
-smoother; and I propose to see that they do go smoother hereafter.”
-
-“How do I know how it happened? Maybe I was in charge, but they manage to
-work the same tricks when you are here too, so you can’t altogether blame
-me,” said Nedham indignantly.
-
-“Well, I suppose not,” replied Mr. Ryder in calmer tones. “I didn’t mean
-to accuse you of neglect of duty. I know they work the same tricks on me
-too. I hope you’ll pardon my temper.”
-
-The chief engineer extended his hand in cordial apology and Nedham
-grasped it, his anger disappearing immediately.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IX
-
-JACK PROPOSES A TRAP
-
-
-Nedham was right. It was some time after midnight before the big
-generators were in condition to operate again. For hours the men toiled
-to get every vestige of the gritty substance out of the machines. Mr.
-Ryder went at the task with the rest, and Jack, unwilling to remain idle,
-rolled up his sleeves and seized a piece of cotton waste also. With the
-steel jacket removed, an excellent opportunity was afforded the lad for a
-better acquaintance with the mechanism of a water turbine generator, and
-as he worked beside Mr. Ryder, the engineer briefly explained the details.
-
-“This is not really a generator that we are working on, Jack,” said Mr.
-Ryder, “because a generator is supposed to create energy. This does not
-do that. The real energy is in the water that turns the turbine, and
-this machine merely converts that energy into electric current, so you
-see the word ‘generator’ is a misnomer in this case. It is the same in a
-steam plant. Steam furnishes energy which is converted into electricity
-by the so-called generators. In fact, man-made electricity is nothing
-more or less than some other kind of energy in a new and more useful
-form. I guess you follow me.”
-
-“I understand all right,” said Jack, “for it is very simple, though I
-must confess I had never considered electricity in that way before.”
-
-“The energy here comes from the water that plunges over the dam we built
-across the river about a mile back in the mountains. The dam is sixty-odd
-feet high and the water that is stored up behind it is carried down to
-the plant here through a very large flume. The flume is built at the same
-level as the dam and brings the water around the mountain to the north of
-the plant and into the big forebay or reservoir just back of the station.
-
-“The water in the forebay is kept at about the same height as the dam
-also, so it can get a sixty-foot direct drop to the turbines here in the
-building. The stream rushes down through the large penstocks, or feeders,
-and strikes against the mass of concaved blades on the waterwheel or
-turbine. The blades are set across the drum of the wheel and at a slight
-angle, thus giving the turbine the full benefit of the force of the water
-striking against them as well as the suction of the water after it leaves
-the blades. This is known as the reaction type of turbine and is only
-used in plants where the fall of water is less than 100 feet. There is
-another type of waterwheel on which buckets take the place of blades.
-This is known as the impact type and is driven entirely by the pelting
-of the water against the bottom of each cup. This wheel is used chiefly
-where the fall of water is more than 100 feet.
-
-“The armature of the generator is also mounted on the shaft or axle of
-the turbine. The armature, you know, is composed of coils of wire wound
-very close together on an iron frame, or spider. Since the turbine whirls
-around very fast the armature is bound to turn at the same rate of
-speed. Now, the armature is surrounded by electrically excited magnets,
-which are the positive and negative poles of the generator. And as the
-coils of wire on the armature rush past the magnets the attraction
-or lines of force between the poles are cut abruptly and immediately
-electricity is created. By means of those brass collecting rings which
-you see on the armature the coils are connected to the transmission lines
-and the electricity flows through them to the lights in Mexico City.”
-
-Mr. Ryder’s description of the hydro-electric plant was so simple and
-so easily understood that Jack was able to follow the entire process of
-converting water power into electrical energy. The conversation had also
-helped to lighten the rather disagreeable task of cleaning the generator
-and it was midnight almost before they realized it.
-
-At this hour Mr. Ryder gave up all hope of using the generator that
-night, for, as he explained to Jack, the lights were fast being put out
-in the houses and stores of Mexico City, thus cutting down the load on
-the power plant to a point where the supply could be easily furnished
-by the remaining four machines. That being the case, he suggested they
-quit work and leave the task entirely to the peons and other workmen
-under Nedham. Jack’s arms were black to the elbow with dirty oil when he
-finally tossed his piece of waste away, and Mr. Ryder’s condition was
-little better.
-
-“Come on, we’ll wash up a bit and start for the cottage; I am rather
-tired and I fancy you are too.”
-
-Together they proceeded to the washroom and a few moments later left the
-station building and started up the short dusty street that led between
-the two rows of cottages. The searchlight was still playing from the roof
-and here and there a lonesome sentinel could be seen silhouetted against
-the skyline. Otherwise the little community was quite lifeless.
-
-Mr. Ryder’s cottage was at the very end of the short street. It was a
-one-story affair but somewhat more prepossessing in appearance than the
-rest of the dwellings. The engineer lived there entirely alone save for
-Tom Why, his aged Chinese cook. In fact, each American at the plant had
-a separate cottage, which was usually taken care of by some old Indian
-woman. There were only two white women in the village. One was the wife
-of Allen Lyman and the other was Mrs. Harriet Clifford, the wife of a
-young American foreman in the plant-maintenance department.
-
-Mr. Ryder’s cottage was no better furnished than any of the rest. The
-main room, which was living room, dining room, library and study all in
-one, was equipped with several heavy wooden chairs, a square table and
-a flat desk littered with old magazines and papers. The remaining three
-rooms boasted small iron beds and washstands. Just in the rear of the
-cottage was a little house in which Tom Why and his American cookstove
-were quartered. Tom was acknowledged to be the best cook in the village,
-excepting, of course, the two American women.
-
-Though it was very late, Tom was up and waiting for the engineer. He had
-prepared a rather substantial midnight luncheon and when Jack caught
-the odor of steaming coffee he suddenly realized that he was extremely
-hungry. Neither he nor Mr. Ryder had tasted food since their dinner at
-the American Hotel in Mexico City, and they were both ready to do justice
-to Tom’s tempting spread. Between mouthfuls, however, they did find time
-to talk over the recent trouble at the plant.
-
-“I must get at the bottom of this and find out who the rebel sympathizers
-are. Of course they are among the peon laborers, at least I think so,
-for none of the white employees have the slightest interest in Zapata
-and his gang of cutthroats, as far as I know. Still, the way the trouble
-makers have tampered with the big switches and other dangerous machinery
-that most of the peons are afraid of, makes me believe sometimes that
-the culprits are white men or natives who know a little more about
-electricity than the peons.”
-
-“I should think then, that you would try and find out whether you are
-dealing with peons or Mexicans of another variety,” said Jack.
-
-“Find out!” demanded the engineer sharply. “Do you think I have been
-sitting with my hands folded all this time? I’ve had the place watched.
-I’ve done everything I could to discover who is up to this crooked work.
-You see, after two in the morning things slacken down at the plant. There
-isn’t much of a load to be carried, only the street lighting in Mexico
-City, and one or two generators are enough to take care of that. At that
-time most of the men leave the plant. There is only the night operator
-and two or three watchmen in different parts of the building, and they
-are not always as alert as they might be. Well, between two o’clock
-and the time the day force comes on at six o’clock in the morning,
-the meddlers get in their best work. The day men usually discover the
-trouble, though in a case like to-night, when one of the big machines
-have been tampered with, the disturbance isn’t noticed until the operator
-tries to start up at nightfall.
-
-“We’ve watched everything and everybody, but when we are in one place
-trouble turns up in an entirely different part of the plant. The
-thing that worries me the most about the whole business is that some
-night after the meddlers have been at work the rebels out there in
-the mountains might take it in their heads to attack. Suppose the
-searchlight generator was crippled. In that case we’d have a serious
-time, wouldn’t we? Indeed, I would like to find out whom we are dealing
-with. But how can I?”
-
-“Well,” said Jack after a moment’s reflection, “at least we can learn
-whether we are dealing with peons or white men. Here’s a suggestion. Why
-not sprinkle a little powder or dust around the machines, switchboard and
-other apparatus likely to be tampered with? Sprinkle it at two o’clock
-every morning and sweep it up again at six. In the meantime if any one
-has tampered with these contrivances they are bound to leave footprints.
-If the prints show naked feet we’ll know it is one of the peons, and if
-we find the trouble maker wears shoes then we’ll know it is a white man.”
-
-“By Jove, that’s a corking idea,” said Mr. Ryder enthusiastically; “we’ll
-do it. We’ll sprinkle cement dust on the floor. Let’s try it out to-night
-and keep it up religiously until we get an imprint of the villain’s feet.
-We’ll saunter over to the plant after those workmen clear out, which I
-judge will be about three o’clock; meanwhile, if you care to, you can
-snatch an hour’s sleep.”
-
-To Jack sleep sounded particularly good and as soon as Mr. Ryder pointed
-out his room he tumbled into it without even removing his shoes. But it
-seemed to him however that he had only closed his eyes when he felt the
-engineer’s hand upon his forehead.
-
-“It’s after three o’clock,” said Mr. Ryder, “and the workmen have all
-left the plant. What do you say to setting our trap now?”
-
-Jack was on his feet in an instant, for he was as eager as the engineer
-to see how his plan would work out. First they visited a tool shed where
-they secured a bucket, then Mr. Ryder ripped open a bag of cement with
-his jack knife and by the light of an electric pocket flash lamp supplied
-himself with a pail of the fine gray powder.
-
-As they passed the front of the plant they could see Nedham in his office
-working over some papers. They continued on around the corner of the
-building where Mr. Ryder opened a large door that let them in on the
-generator floor. Two of the big machines were running, but there was not
-a soul in sight. Through the glass front of the control room, high up
-among the girders, they could see Lyman watching the switchboard.
-
-“Is there any wonder that the rebel sympathizers can tamper with the
-machines?” said Mr. Ryder; “there isn’t a watchman in sight, and Lyman
-would not be likely to see us down here unless he made a point of looking
-out of the window, which is not necessary, for he can see how the
-machines are running by looking at the indicators on his board. Nedham is
-in his office and the only other man on duty is the engineer and he is
-probably in his office watching for signals from Lyman. There should be a
-watchman here on the floor, but I guess when no one is looking he steals
-off and takes a nap. I’ve fired at least five men for doing that, but you
-can’t teach these Mexicans anything. They’ll do exactly as they please in
-spite of you.”
-
-In fifteen minutes Jack and the engineer had set their trap and returned
-to the cottage again. They were both thoroughly tired and Mr. Ryder began
-to take off his things the moment he entered the house. As he unloosened
-the front of his shirt, however, a rather bulky yellow wallet slipped out
-and fell to the floor.
-
-“There are those drawings,” said the engineer. “I’d almost forgotten them
-with all our activities to-day. Here’s your wallet, I guess I won’t need
-it any longer.”
-
-He removed the envelope of blue prints as he spoke and opening the top
-drawer of his desk dropped it inside, at the same time handing the wallet
-to Jack.
-
-“I’ll be up at six to look for results,” said he as Jack started for his
-room, “but I really don’t expect to find any footprints right off. I
-rather think the trouble maker has done enough damage to satisfy him for
-several days at least.”
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER X
-
-FOOTPRINTS
-
-
-In spite of the fact that he had been able to get but a few hours’ sleep,
-Jack was awake before six o’clock. The noise Mr. Ryder made in the
-adjoining room aroused him, and when he realized that the engineer was
-getting ready to start for the power plant, he dressed with all speed.
-But though they were up early, old Tom Why had been awake fully half an
-hour before them as a steaming breakfast testified.
-
-The two did not linger long over their coffee, however, for they were
-too eager to reach the station before the day men arrived and tracked
-through the cement powder. Indeed, they left the cottage still munching
-the last of their meal. The sun had been up two hours, but the mountains
-across the river were so tall that its rays were only just getting down
-into the broad valley that held Necaxa. Jack’s first view of the place
-by daylight pleased him greatly. As Mr. Ryder had said, the country was
-wilderness, the only evidence of civilization being the tracks of the
-narrow gage railroad and the steel poles that carried the four black
-serpent-like transmission lines across the clearing and into the forest
-toward Mexico City. Necaxa was completely shut off from the rest of the
-world by mountains, the nearest community being a little nameless Indian
-village down the river.
-
-However, the lad had no time to gaze at the scenery just then, for in a
-few minutes the workmen would be on the way to the plant. Jack and Mr.
-Ryder hurried to the side door they had used but three hours before,
-and in a few moments they were looking at their recent handiwork. From
-one machine to another they hurried, closely inspecting the dust on the
-floor, before sweeping it into the pail again. Though they did not expect
-to find traces of a nocturnal visit by the mysterious trouble maker they
-were keenly alert for every little clue. They inspected each appliance
-in the main room but all seemed to be in good order, nor did the cement
-powder reveal a single telltale mark. There remained only the small
-generators of the exciter sets to be inspected. Jack hurried forward to
-brush up the dust about these machines, for the men were already entering
-the plant and he did not care to let them know of the trap.
-
-And as he stooped over, his eyes caught the distinct outline of a foot
-close to the base of the generator! Another and still another were
-discovered close by. He could scarcely credit his eyes. But Mr. Ryder,
-who was directly behind him, saw the imprints also.
-
-“By George, we’ve a clue at last!” he exclaimed, leaning forward and
-examining the tracks. “They have been made by naked feet too! What do you
-think of that!”
-
-“And I’ll be hanged if that isn’t the mark of a scar on the left heel!”
-he ejaculated, as he dropped to his hands and knees and scrutinized the
-tracks. “Oh, our task is an easy one now! I’ll guarantee to have the
-meddler in the hands of the rurales by sundown with this evidence to
-work on. But look how they have riddled the exciter!”
-
-As Jack bent closer he too could see the mark of a scar. The foot had
-removed the concrete dust completely except for a little ridge diagonally
-across the heel. This showed plainly that there had been a sharp
-indentation in the flesh at that point. And as the same mark showed in
-every other imprint of the left foot there was small room for doubt.
-
-“Well, it looks as if our trap had worked far better than we expected,”
-he said jubilantly, as they prepared to obliterate the track by sweeping
-up the dust.
-
-“Indeed it did,” replied Mr. Ryder. “Here’s positive proof that the
-culprit is a peon, and with this telltale scar to help out it is only
-necessary to inspect every peon in the plant and pick out the guilty
-individual. We’ll have them lined up immediately.”
-
-Together they hurried out of the station and across to the quarters of
-the army officers. The captain in command of the post was on the front
-porch of his cottage washing his face in a tin basin when Mr. Ryder
-interrupted him. The engineer spoke a few words in Spanish and the
-officer hastily reached for a towel, at the same time calling loudly
-for an orderly. That individual arrived from behind the cottage as if
-produced by magic, and after listening to the captain’s brief orders
-saluted and hurried to the barracks building, from the door of which the
-soldiers were just emerging in various stages of attire.
-
-He returned presently, to be followed five minutes later by a young
-officer in charge of a squad of ten soldiers. Curt instructions were
-issued by the commander and the soldiers broke ranks immediately and went
-hurrying here and there about the plant, rounding up every peon in sight.
-
-Some of the native laborers protested violently against being hustled
-into line along the south wall of the station, for they were afraid that
-they were about to be shot, this being the spot where all the executions
-in Necaxa were staged. But their protests were of no avail, for the
-soldiers took keen delight in hurrying them along with the sharp point of
-their bayonets or the flat stock of their guns.
-
-In less than no time two score natives were facing the gray stone wall.
-They were a heterogeneous assortment of half-breeds and full-blooded
-Indians with ragged garments and hair long and unkempt. None wore shoes
-or even sandals.
-
-When every native had been located and the line was complete the soldiers
-withdrew a short distance and the captain then turning to Mr. Ryder,
-spoke nervously and with great concern:
-
-“Here are they, Señor, maybe now you find them sick mans, yes.”
-
-“Why did he say ‘those sick men?’” asked Jack, somewhat puzzled.
-
-“I told him there was a rumor abroad that one of the peons had leprosy
-and that we wanted to find him and put him in a pest house. Though I know
-very little about the disease I understand it shows first on the face,
-palms of the hands or soles of the feet,” answered the engineer.
-
-“But why did you tell him that?” demanded the lad.
-
-“Well, for the simple reason that I do not care to let any one know what
-we have discovered. I think the less said about the scar the easier it
-will be for us to catch our man. If we keep it to ourselves he will never
-suspect that we set a trap for him. Now for the search.”
-
-Mr. Ryder, Jack and the captain began a tour of inspection. Each Indian
-was commanded to lift first one foot and then the other, while Jack and
-the engineer scrutinized them closely. The engineer in addition examined
-their hands and face as well, though not with as keen an eye as he
-watched the feet. The peons all submitted to the inspection meekly, but
-it was quite evident from the expression on their faces that they could
-not understand the whole proceedings. One by one they were passed and as
-Mr. Ryder neared the end of the line his brow wrinkled in a perplexed
-frown. Finally when the last man was allowed to go he turned to the
-officer in charge of the squad and demanded:
-
-“Are these all the peons there are about the plant? There must be more!”
-
-“No more are here, Señor. But maybe those sick mans you look on is
-here in the night men. There are—ah—_diez hombres_,” said the officer
-excitedly.
-
-“Jack,” said the engineer, “that fellow may be right. It is possible that
-my man _is_ on the night force or he may be a strange peon who gets into
-the plant somehow. I think the next move for us to make is to go down to
-the Indian village and do some detective work there. Most of the peons we
-hire live down there and it is more than likely that we will find the man
-with the scarred heel among them.”
-
-“That sounds reasonable,” said Jack, after considering the question. “Why
-not go down there while the trail is hot?”
-
-“All right,” said Mr. Ryder, “but let me warn you that we will have to
-travel through about five miles of country infested with rebels and, as
-you know, they do not look upon any of the white men from the plant with
-very great favor.”
-
-“I am willing to take the chance,” said Jack, laconically.
-
-“Very good, only be sure your gun is in working order and your cartridge
-belt is full.”
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XI
-
-SEARCHING FOR THE MAN WITH A SCARRED HEEL
-
-
-A drove of thirty or more horses and half as many pack mules were
-quartered in the large corral behind the barracks for the use of the
-rurales stationed at Necaxa. From among them a rather docile mustang was
-selected for Jack. While a native was saddling the horse, a _mozo_, or
-Indian servant, arrived with the engineer’s steed, a beautiful creature
-that had cost Mr. Ryder nearly three hundred Mexican dollars, which is a
-very high price indeed to pay for horse flesh in that country. Three of
-the rurales were detailed to accompany them as a special guard and before
-leaving the enclosure the entire party made a careful inspection of their
-firearms.
-
-For the first two miles the trail skirted the high bank of the river
-and was wide enough to permit the men to ride two abreast. The three
-soldier-policemen took the lead while Jack and the engineer brought up
-the rear, and as their horses jogged along Mr. Ryder explained briefly
-the life of the Mexican Indians since the conquest of the country by
-adventurers from across the sea.
-
-“These natives,” he said, “have been veritable slaves since their
-ancestors yielded to Spain’s warriors. The peons, who are all Indians or
-half-breeds, are the lowest type of Mexicans. They are uneducated and
-uncivilized and for that reason they rarely advance above the class of
-servants and laborers. Since the day they were conquered they have been
-without opportunity, however, so we cannot blame them altogether for
-their condition. There is every reason to believe, from the relics that
-are left to-day, that the Mexican Indians were semi-civilized at least.
-They erected magnificent temples, they laid out large cities, and they
-even built aqueducts and sewer systems. Indeed, they were much farther
-advanced than the North American Indian of the plains, but with the
-advent of the Spaniards they began to deteriorate for the simple reason
-that they were not allowed to progress. As you already know, a man or
-a nation cannot stand still. It must either develop or retrogress. The
-Spaniards made slaves of the Indians and while they are not slaves in
-name to-day they might just as well be, for they have not as much freedom
-as the negro had in the United States before the Civil War.
-
-“The peons live as tenants on _haciendas_, or large farms, where they
-till the soil and raise crops. For this work they are paid a few
-_centavos_ a day which in American money does not amount to five cents;
-with this pittance they are supposed to buy food and clothes. But the
-hacienda owners sell them food and clothes at a figure far above their
-daily earnings and as a result the Indian is always in debt to his
-master. And since it is a capital offense in Mexico for an employee to
-leave an employer while still in debt to him, the peon is bound to the
-hacienda on which he is born for the rest of his life. He can never leave
-and he can never cease working for the same man. Whole communities of
-natives are often controlled in this way by Mexican farmers.”
-
-“It seems ridiculous that such conditions can exist to-day,” said Jack,
-very much surprised at this revelation. He had always considered the
-Mexican Indian as a shiftless being who did not work and lived from hand
-to mouth simply because of his own laziness.
-
-“Do not get the idea that these natives are blind to their present
-condition or that they do not care to elevate their general plane of
-existence,” continued Mr. Ryder. “They are just as eager for a chance to
-advance as is the Jew or other foreigner who immigrates to America. That
-is the reason why the present revolution is being waged in the north by
-Carranza and Villa, and that is why our bloodthirsty friend Zapata has so
-many peon followers.
-
-“The only trouble is the moment one of these revolutions is successful
-and the new leader is in power all pledges to the peon are forgotten
-and the native goes back to exactly the same condition that he has been
-fighting to clear himself from. It is a very unhappy situation, but some
-day, perhaps, a leader will keep his promise to his people. Then the huge
-_haciendas_, which often embrace hundreds of thousands of acres, will be
-confiscated and this land with the millions of acres of government land
-will be cut up into small farms and sold to the natives at reasonable
-terms exactly as our country opened up the great West. When this happens
-Mexico will develop into a wonderful nation. Give these people public
-schools and the other advantages of civilization and you will soon see
-what kind of stuff they are made of. The old Indian blood is strong in
-them and Indians, properly trained, often make excellent men.”
-
-Mr. Ryder’s talk had changed Jack’s opinion of the peons a great deal.
-Indeed, he soon found that instead of despising them he was sympathizing
-with them. He could not understand, however, how the engineer could
-feel kindly disposed to the natives when they were causing him so much
-trouble. He was on the point of mentioning this thought when Mr. Ryder
-spoke again.
-
-“I feel very sorry for the peons even though I am an agent of Huerta.
-But as I have weighed it out, my duty to my employer comes first no
-matter whether the employer is a scoundrel or not. It is not for me to
-judge. I am asked to keep Mexico City illuminated and I will keep the
-lights burning no matter who is in the National Palace, and, moreover,
-I’ll do it in spite of this man with the scarred foot, whoever he is.”
-
-Thus recalled to their mission, Jack instantly became attentive to their
-surroundings. He found that the trail had narrowed and that the rurales
-ahead had formed in single file. His little mustang was patiently picking
-its way through rough places and underbrush to keep beside the animal
-ridden by the engineer.
-
-“I guess we have been talking too much and paying too little attention to
-our horses, Jack,” said Mr. Ryder. “Push ahead and get in single file.
-This is a section of the trail that carries us over the shoulder of a
-mountain and it is rather narrow.”
-
-Soon the shoulder was topped, however, and the horses began to descend
-in single file toward the Indian village. The community was somewhat
-larger than the villages Jack had seen from the train window on his way
-to Mexico City, otherwise it was the same collection of dilapidated
-huts that looked as if they had been literally thrown together by their
-builders.
-
-As they drove down through the single street a regiment of barking dogs
-and screaming naked Indian children greeted them. Robust, dark-skinned
-men lounged about before the huts (most of them clad in pajama like
-cotton garments), while their women folk worked hard at grinding corn
-between stones or carried water from the river in tall earthen jugs which
-they balanced deftly on their heads. Down at the river bank Jack could
-see other women busy washing clothes. This laundry work was accomplished
-by pounding the garments between stones much to the detriment of the
-garments, for the hard stones rubbed innumerable holes in the cloth as
-Jack found later when he gave his linen to a native washerwoman.
-
-In the village Mr. Ryder took the lead and Jack followed, leaving
-the rurales to their own diversions. The engineer drove toward a more
-pretentious hut than the rest, where a very much wrinkled old Indian sat
-sunning himself before the door and idly watching a half dozen scrawny
-razorback pigs rooting in the dirt almost at his very feet.
-
-The two Americans reined up before the house and viewed the picture that
-the old fellow made as he sat there staring absently at the animals.
-
-“That,” said Mr. Ryder, “is Señor Yuai and his pigs. Pigs and vultures,
-as you know, are the scavengers of Mexico. But for their able services
-the country would be unfit to live in because of its filth and carrion.
-And Señor Yuai, though he is neither pig nor vulture, is also a very
-useful inhabitant. He is the Indian doctor who attends to all the natives
-in this vicinity. The old fellow is very much looked up to and every one
-comes to him for advice. He is aged and very nearsighted but his mind is
-as keen as ever. He knows every peon for miles around and I’ve an idea
-that he can identify our trouble maker with the scarred foot if he wants
-to. Come, we’ll hear what he has to say on the question.”
-
-The Americans dismounted and after kicking their way through the drove
-of grunting pigs confronted the austere old Indian. Señor Yuai peered up
-at them with eyes bleared by age and demanded in Spanish to know whose
-shadow fell across his doorway. (The following conversation then took
-place which Mr. Ryder translated for Jack’s benefit.)
-
-“It is I, Señor Ryder, from the electrical plant,” said the engineer.
-
-“Gringo friend come over mountain to see me?” asked the old Indian.
-
-“Yes, I’ve come to see you, Señor Yuai, but not because I am sick of
-_calentura_. It is another reason. Tell me, in all your years do you
-remember a peon ailing of a cut heel. Did you ever cure a very deep
-wound that would leave a scar across a peon’s heel, thus?” Mr. Ryder
-illustrated his question by drawing his finger diagonally across the old
-man’s heel. The Indian was silent a long time and while his memory went
-slowly back over the many years he had been doctoring the natives, Mr.
-Ryder slipped a cigarette between his lean old fingers, saying, “Here,
-Señor Yuai, perhaps a little smoke will make you remember better.”
-
-The Indian accepted the roll of brown paper and tobacco with a grunt of
-satisfaction and lit it on the glowing end of Mr. Ryder’s own cigarette
-which the engineer held for his convenience.
-
-For five minutes the old native puffed in silence, exhaling great clouds
-of blue smoke from time to time. Finally he spoke.
-
-“As many years ago as I have fingers came a young man to see me. He had
-stepped on a _machette_ and the flesh of his foot was laid open to the
-bone. My medicine cured him. Soon he could walk, he could run, he could
-swim. He was a fine big fellow. He could shoot well, he could ride well
-and he was a good boy except he liked _pulque_ too much. One day he went
-away. Two summers later he came back in clothes as green as the banana
-palm. He was then a rurale. He went away again and never came again. His
-name—ah—his name went with him.” Here the Indian touched his forehead
-with his finger as he spoke and this action told the American plainer
-than his words that he had forgotten the young man’s name.
-
-Jack and the engineer looked at each other significantly when Señor Yuai
-finished speaking.
-
-“Can it be that we have traitors among our rurales!” demanded Mr. Ryder
-incredulously.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XII
-
-THE DRAWINGS ARE STOLEN
-
-
-“Well, this is a mighty serious state of affairs,” said the engineer as
-they returned to their horses and prepared to remount.
-
-“Yes, indeed, and from all appearances we have a real enemy to contend
-with,” replied the lad.
-
-“You are right, we have,” confirmed Mr. Ryder. “If our man with the
-scarred foot is a member of the rurales, we are going to have the devil’s
-own job locating him too. We cannot accuse at random and moreover we
-cannot take our troubles to the captain, for the reason that where
-there is one traitor there are likely to be many more. The captain may
-be a revolutionist himself, and if he is, heaven help us when he finds
-out that we have a way of identifying the trouble maker. We would be
-murdered in less than a week. I think we had better feel our way very
-slowly before we make an arrest.”
-
-“But why should a rurale go traveling about in his bared feet at night?”
-queried Jack, suddenly discovering a puzzling question.
-
-“I thought of that myself,” confessed the engineer, “and the only reason
-I can give is that the culprit is always afraid that the jingle of his
-big spurs will attract attention and rather than remove them he removed
-his boots instead and goes about his work silently. That sounds perfectly
-plausible, doesn’t it?”
-
-“By George, that’s capital reasoning! I believe you’ve hit it exactly
-right,” exclaimed the lad enthusiastically.
-
-“I see our three guards over on the river bank,” said Mr. Ryder, abruptly
-changing the subject; “we’ll drive over and join them there, for I’ve an
-idea that our horses could stand a drink before starting for the plant
-again.
-
-“And by the way,” he warned as they urged their mounts forward, “I
-wouldn’t say much about our friend of the scarred foot in the presence
-of the rurales either here or at the plant, for you never can tell just
-how much English some of these fellows understand. I’m a little worried
-over the impression that our search among the peons created, even though
-I did tell the captain the falsehood about the suspected leper. Who
-knows, perhaps the very man we are after was looking on all the time. In
-that case our lives are in danger every moment. He would kill us rather
-than run the chance of being identified.”
-
-It was quite evident to Jack that the engineer regarded the business at
-hand as rather hazardous and the lad from Vermont could not help feeling
-slightly concerned about his own safety. He put on a bold front before
-Mr. Ryder, however, for he did not care to have the engineer think that
-he was the least bit worried.
-
-The river’s course through the valley was broad and the stream ran
-sluggish and shallow where it passed the village. Indeed, just below
-the point where the women were washing on the rocks was a ford, with a
-sloping sandy beach on either bank. Here it was that the pack trains
-leaving the valley toward the north crossed the stream. On the bank
-opposite, Jack saw several large alligators sunning themselves, and here
-and there on the surface of the water he also saw the scaly backs and
-heads of others that had come up to rest awhile and get a fresh supply of
-air. Some of them were fully ten feet long.
-
-But in spite of the presence of these reptiles, the horses did not
-hesitate to wade belly deep into the stream and cool themselves while
-they slaked their thirst. Jack noticed this and remarked about it to Mr.
-Ryder.
-
-“Alligators are not disposed to attack anything very large,” said the
-engineer, “although sometimes they do make away with sheep and small
-calves that come down for a drink. The ’gator is not as ferocious as his
-cousin the crocodile and I have never heard of any natives being devoured
-by one, in spite of the fact that the Indians wade the ford here daily.”
-
-Mr. Ryder had hardly finished speaking when a young Indian appeared on
-the opposite bank followed by a full-grown hound dog. The native was
-clad only in abbreviated canvas trousers and slung across his back was a
-tiny mail bag. Jack learned later that his first name was Miguel and that
-his last name was almost unpronounceable, also that he was the official
-runner, or messenger, of that section of the country, and that his
-forefathers had been runners as far back as the days of Montezuma.
-
-The native stood knee deep in the river a moment and emitted several
-loud whoops at the same time churning the water furiously with his feet.
-At this the alligators on the bank slipped into the water with a splash
-and every scaly back and head disappeared. Then the Indian plunged into
-the stream and waded across, at the same time coaxing the dog to follow.
-The hound stood whining at the water’s edge, however, and the messenger
-reached the opposite shore before the animal found sufficient courage to
-follow. Finally, after much coaxing, he took the plunge and swam toward
-his master. But he had scarcely passed the middle of the stream when he
-began to whine again, half raising himself out of the water with his
-frantic efforts to swim faster. The next instant there was a swirl just
-behind him and an ugly head appeared on the surface. The dog fairly
-leapt out of the water at this but he could not avoid the reptile whose
-dripping jaws closed upon one hind leg.
-
-The native shouted wildly and plunged back into the river again to rescue
-his pet. But before he had gone two steps, Jack, with great presence of
-mind, whipped out his revolver. Twice he fired and each bullet found its
-way into the scaly body. Instantly the water was lashed into foam by the
-death struggle of the monster. The great jaws opened wide and the reptile
-awoke the echoes in the hills with a bellow like that of an angry bull.
-Then it sank out of sight.
-
-Half drowned and with one leg dangling limp and useless the hound
-dragged itself from the river. The young Indian lifted it in his arms
-and caressed it gently, at the same time talking effusively to Jack. Of
-course the American could not understand the messenger, but it was quite
-evident from the expression on the red man’s face that he was very
-grateful to Jack and that he admired his quick and accurate shooting.
-
-“What is he saying?” asked the Vermonter, turning to Mr. Ryder.
-
-“He says that you are a very good marksman and that you have a warm heart
-for a gringo. He promises never to forget your kindness.”
-
-Jack smiled his acknowledgment and prepared to remount his horse,
-which with the others had withdrawn from the river when the struggling
-alligator began its frenzied lashing of the water.
-
-It was past midday when the five riders started on their return journey
-toward the power plant, and the heat was intense. However, as soon as the
-horses had climbed out of the valley the trail led through a dense forest
-where huge trees and thickly matted vines shut out all sunlight and all
-heat as well. Travel, under such circumstances was thoroughly enjoyable,
-and the five riders swung along in single file until they reached the
-open country in the vicinity of the great hydro station again.
-
-“Well,” said Jack as he reined in beside Mr. Ryder at the gate in the
-barbed-wire barricade, “I thought you said the woods were full of rebels.
-We haven’t seen a sign of one all day long. What do you make of it?”
-
-“It is more than likely that they are off in some other section of the
-hills, burning and pillaging. But don’t think that they haven’t an eye on
-us, for they have and you’ll see signs of them again before long, I’ll
-warrant.”
-
-The soldier on guard at the gate had unfastened the intricate lock by
-this time and the cavalcade entered. The rurales hurried off at top speed
-to their long low barracks hall where they hoped to find the remains of
-the noonday mess. And as for Jack and the engineer, they were not slow
-in reaching the cottage, for they knew that faithful old Tom Why had
-something tempting waiting for them.
-
-A _mozo_ met them as they reined in before the door and when they had
-dismounted he took charge of the horses. The few hours in the saddle had
-been rather tiresome to the lad, for he was not accustomed to that form
-of exercise. Indeed, the shaking up he had received on horseback and the
-lack of sleep the night before had made him so thoroughly fatigued that
-even the cartridge belt and holster weighed heavily on his hips and as
-he walked toward the cottage he started to unbuckle the leather girdle.
-Just as he was mounting the steps the buckle opened suddenly and the belt
-swung free, upsetting the holster and toppling the revolver to the ground.
-
-Hastily Jack stooped to pick it up. But as he reached down he caught
-sight of a naked footprint in the dust! He bent closer, hardly able
-to believe what he saw! The footprint bore the mark of a deep scar
-diagonally across the heel!
-
-“Hi! Mr. Ryder! Look! Our man with the scar paid a visit here as well!”
-he shouted to the engineer, who had already entered the cottage.
-
-Mr. Ryder hurried out and examined the footprint with Jack.
-
-“By George, you’re right! What could he have wanted up here!” exclaimed
-the engineer.
-
-Jack did not wait to answer the question. He bolted into the house and
-rushed to the flat-topped desk, for he had suddenly thought of the
-precious blueprints. Eagerly he drew open the top drawer into which he
-had seen Mr. Ryder drop the yellow envelope the evening before. But the
-compartment was empty! The drawings were gone!
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIII
-
-A WEAKENED GARRISON
-
-
-With the disappearance of the engineer’s drawings the mystery that
-surrounded the man with the scarred foot was doubled. Neither Jack nor
-Mr. Ryder could be quite positive of the clue they had been following. To
-them the fact that the trouble maker went about without shoes argued that
-he was a peon, and they could well understand why a peon, imbued with the
-spirit of revolution, should seek to make conditions as uncomfortable as
-possible for President Huerta, against whose rule they were revolting.
-That the person in question should undertake to wreck the power plant,
-or portions of it, seemed quite natural. But when it came to stealing
-drawings that were absolutely useless to them the whole affair took on a
-different complexion.
-
-Who was this individual with the scar on his foot? Was he a peon or was
-he some one of the other employees about the plant? Or again, was he a
-soldier, or a member of the band of rurales, or was he some one of the
-bandits in the mountains who ran the guard at night and accomplished
-his trickery under the very eyes of soldiers and employees? The whole
-situation was thoroughly muddled and Jack and Mr. Ryder spent days trying
-to fathom the knotty problem. To a technical man the drawings were of
-the utmost value, for they laid bare to him the secret of an invention
-that would make him wealthy. But on the other hand it would seem that the
-man was moved more by his sympathies with the revolutionists than by his
-desire for personal gain, since it was quite apparent that the person who
-was so industriously engaged in making things disagreeable for President
-Huerta and the man who stole the drawings was the same individual.
-
-“It is a mighty peculiar situation,” said Mr. Ryder one evening, after he
-and Jack had been puzzling over the matter for several hours. “This is
-my only conclusion. The man must be a peon, or a soldier, for they are
-the only persons hereabout who are interested in the revolution at all.
-He has heard of the drawings somehow, and believing that they would be of
-value to Zapata or Carranza (or whoever else he favors), he stole them.
-Later on he will probably turn them over to some one of these leaders
-with the hope, perhaps, that he will be given a commission or some other
-form of recognition for his service to the cause.
-
-“But after I have reached that conclusion,” he added, “I am not
-absolutely certain that I am shooting in the right direction.”
-
-For some time after the disappearance of the papers everything ran
-smoothly at the plant. But in the meantime disconcerting rumors were
-coming in from the mountains about bands of Zapatistas who were
-gathering at all points. The rurales who went out to patrol the hills
-and in particular to ride the transmission line to see that it was not
-disturbed were the first to bring in reports of skirmishes with these
-rebels. Almost daily several of the soldier-policemen would locate a
-handful of armed natives somewhere in the hills. Always a fight followed
-which resulted in at least one or two fatalities. More than once these
-green-clad riders came into Necaxa with dead or wounded comrades in their
-arms. And on several occasions they appeared at the power plant with
-prisoners bound hand and foot and tied to the backs of horses or burros
-like so many sacks of flour.
-
-Short work was made of these men. Their fate was sealed the moment they
-were captured by the rurales. As a matter of form they were given a
-drumhead trial; that is, they were taken before the chief officer of
-the rurales and asked a number of unimportant questions. No matter how
-these questions were answered the sentence was the same. The natives were
-always condemned to be shot at sunrise the following morning.
-
-Jack was present at the trial of one of these unfortunates and after the
-rebel was taken to the guardhouse the lad and Mr. Ryder went to visit
-him. It gave Jack a rather uncanny feeling when he realized that the man
-with whom they were talking would be dead and cold in ten hours. The
-Vermonter was up before sunrise to see the prisoner led out and placed
-against the gray wall of the power plant. The firing squad was composed
-of five men and an officer who stood with sword drawn while a soldier
-bound a handkerchief about the eyes of the victim. When this was done the
-executioners took careful aim and waited for the abrupt command to fire.
-
-The five guns roared simultaneously, and Jack grew sick as he saw the
-blindfolded figure sway backward first, then recover its balance only
-to pitch forward with a groan and become an inert and lifeless mass.
-When the smoke had cleared away the officer walked calmly up to the dead
-man and drawing his revolver emptied the entire six chambers into the
-already lifeless body. This, Jack learned, was prescribed by the military
-regulations of Mexico, which state that an officer in charge of a firing
-squad, is held responsible for the certain death of the victim.
-
-The rurales, however, were not the only ones to bring in word of the
-gathering of the Zapatistas. One day three men left the plant on a
-handcar trip of inspection along the narrow gage railroad track.
-One took a Winchester rifle with him while the others carried their
-revolvers. On their return journey they were met at a bend in the road
-by six rebels. One had a rifle but the others were armed only with
-_machettes_, or long brush knives. The men from the plant were ordered to
-stop, of course, but they did not obey. Instead they started to pump the
-handles harder and since the tracks were down grade at that point their
-car had gained tremendous headway by the time they reached the natives.
-Fortunately the peons had not had forethought enough to plug the railroad
-tracks or loosen a rail in which case the car would have been wrecked and
-the inspectors killed immediately. As it was they ran past the natives
-at top speed. The Mexican with the rifle opened fire and the man with
-the Winchester replied, but he was only able to get in one shot before
-the handle of the car knocked the rifle from his grasp. One of the other
-men drew his six shooter and emptied it as he went flying past. It was a
-narrow escape and the three inspectors were glad when they reached the
-power plant.
-
-Shortly after this experience some excitement was created at the station
-when Lyman noticed that one of his indicators recorded a grounded
-transmission line. Two linemen and a squad of rurales were despatched to
-locate the trouble. Five miles back in the mountains they found a dead
-peon clinging to one of the steel transmission poles and the story of
-the ground was revealed instantly. This peon had climbed the pole and
-with his steel _machette_ tried to cut through one of the transmission
-lines. The moment the blade came in contact with the cable a circuit was
-formed and the entire 88,000 volts were sent through the man’s body. His
-companions, seeing his fate, had fled without even attempting to rescue
-him.
-
-These demonstrations on the part of the rebels did not add to the peace
-of mind of the men at the power plant. Indeed every one began to feel
-the strain, for the station was veritably in a state of siege. Rumors
-came into Necaxa by way of the peons from the Indian village down the
-valley, that José Cerro, one of the fiercest of the mountain bandits and
-a strong ally of Zapata, was in charge of the horde that was gathering in
-the hills in that vicinity. After that no one felt inclined to leave the
-station except when accompanied by a guard of rurales and all inspection
-of railroad and transmission lines was done with the aid of soldiers.
-
-Then one day in the midst of it all the officer in charge of the infantry
-reported to Mr. Ryder that he had been in communication with General
-Rodriguez and had received orders to move his entire detachment back to
-Mexico City. The engineer could not believe his ears. With all haste he
-called up the capital on the long-distance telephone.
-
-“Why, you won’t need soldiers out there any longer,” said the military
-officer after the engineer had protested vigorously to the removal of the
-guard. “You don’t need soldiers because Zapata is moving his whole army
-toward the Atlantic coast. He’s evidently heard of the shipment of arms
-coming in on the German steamer and hopes to intercept them on their way
-to the capital. If he takes the railroad we are lost. That’s why we want
-your soldiers. We must have them. The rebel chief has withdrawn all his
-men from your section of the country so I’m sure you won’t need them.”
-
-“Oh, is that so,” said Mr. Ryder, thoroughly angry. “Well, there are a
-few hundred lurking out here in the woods just now and I am expecting an
-attack almost any time.”
-
-“You are mistaken, I am sure,” said the officer; “there may be a few
-bandits about in the mountains but the Zapatistas have all followed their
-leader. I am very sorry, but we need all the soldiers you have at Necaxa.
-However, if you are at all alarmed I will leave you a detachment of
-twenty-five infantrymen who, with the squad of rurales you have stationed
-there, will be able to defend the place against a few bandits. Good-by.”
-
-The soldiers entrained that very afternoon, much to the chagrin of Mr.
-Ryder and the other Americans.
-
-“By George, this is the queerest piece of work I have ever seen,” said
-Mr. Ryder. “If Zapata has moved his men, José Cerro did not follow his
-leader, for he’s out there in the mountains with two hundred men and
-he’ll swoop down on us in short order when he hears how weak our garrison
-is. Just watch how bold those greasers get when they learn that the
-infantry has been called back to Mexico City.”
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIV
-
-THE NIGHT WATCH
-
-
-Mr. Ryder’s prediction came true. It was not two days later when a half
-dozen peons appeared on the edge of the forest and occupied their time
-shooting out the windows in the workmen’s cottages and sending leaden
-greetings to any one who appeared out of doors. They remained in their
-positions until the soldiers mounted a light machine gun in the window of
-the barracks house and poured a rain of steel-jacketed bullets in their
-direction. But José Cerro’s followers were not the only ones who were
-made bold by the withdrawal of the troops. The traitor inside the power
-plant became active too.
-
-One evening while Jack and Mr. Ryder were partaking of one of Tom Why’s
-elaborate meals, Phil Underwood, the young American whose duty it was to
-take care of the huge searchlight, rushed into the dining room.
-
-“Mr. Ryder,” he exclaimed with a savage note in his voice, “there’s a
-peon in Necaxa I’d like to lay hands on. He’s that blasted sympathizer.
-If I knew who he was I’d choke him to death. What do you think he’s done
-now to help that bunch of cutthroats out there in the mountain? He’s put
-the big searchlight out of business! He’s wrecked the entire outfit and
-there isn’t a place this side of New York where we can get the broken
-parts replaced! It looks as if we were up against it for sure.”
-
-The engineer looked thoroughly worried.
-
-“When did it happen?” he demanded.
-
-“The light was all right up to dawn this morning. I shut it off promptly
-at four o’clock, put the canvas jacket over it and went to bed. When I
-tried to start it a few moments ago I found the whole mechanism gone to
-smash.”
-
-For a long time Mr. Ryder was silent. His brow was wrinkled and it was
-evident to both Phil and Jack that the situation was causing him some
-deep thought. Finally he spoke.
-
-“Look here, Phil, this condition is mighty serious and I am at a loss
-to know exactly how to proceed. I think the best plan is not to mention
-this last piece of treachery. Merely go to Lieutenant Hernandez and
-tell him that the searchlight suddenly became out of order and until we
-can repair it or make better arrangements he must keep a double guard
-along the barricade and the first trench. If we spread the news about
-this broadcast we can’t tell what sort of an effect it will have on the
-soldiers. Mexicans are a peculiar lot, you know, and for that reason
-alone I think it would be far better for us to keep this incident secret.
-In the meantime you and Jack and myself can keep a watchful eye on
-everything in general and I’ll try to work out a plan for an improvised
-searchlight.”
-
-“Very good, sir,” said Phil, as he hurried off to the military barracks.
-
-When the youth had gone Mr. Ryder turned to Jack and said: “I trust you
-are still willing to help me in this difficulty, my boy.”
-
-“You’re right I am,” exclaimed Jack enthusiastically, “I am as much
-interested as if I were employed here and I’ll do anything I can to be
-of assistance.”
-
-“Very well then, Jack, I’ll look to you to do a man’s share of the
-watching around here until we can get things straightened out. This
-trouble with the searchlight may mean that a night attack is impending. I
-purpose doing some guard duty myself to-night and I should like to have
-you help me out. Will you?”
-
-“Only tell me what you want of me and I’ll do it without a word of
-protest,” said Jack loyally.
-
-“Well, suppose you buckle on your revolver now and start patroling the
-village. Keep an eye out for anything that does not look absolutely
-normal. At midnight report back to the cottage here and wake me up. I’ll
-do my trick between midnight and dawn, for I do not intend that this
-traitor shall get in any more of his underhanded work without being
-caught at it.”
-
-“That’s a capital scheme,” said the young Vermonter and finishing his
-coffee he hurried to his room. There he secured his belt and holster
-which he had tossed on his bed an hour previous. Also before he left he
-rummaged through his traveling bag until he had located a tiny electric
-pocket flash lamp which he had brought with him all the way from
-Drueryville. Ten minutes later he was sauntering down the single narrow
-street toward the power plant.
-
-Darkness was just coming on as the sentries were changed and the lad
-watched the small squad of regulars leave the barracks and take their
-places at various points around the tiny village.
-
-“I wonder,” mused the boy, “how many actually keep awake all night? I’ll
-warrant half of them find some sheltered spot and go to sleep after
-midnight.”
-
-For an hour or two the little community resembled the quarry towns of far
-off Vermont to such a degree that Jack actually became a little homesick
-as he viewed the scene. Every cottage window glowed with cheerful light
-and the day men, free from their tasks for a while, were indulging in the
-only sociability Necaxa afforded: that was to gather in twos and threes
-on cottage porches and spend the evening in telling stories and smoking.
-Now and then some one of these groups would burst forth in songs and what
-the tunes lacked in harmony was made up for in the enthusiasm of the
-singers. Most of the songs Jack recognized as having been popular back in
-the States two years before.
-
-At half past nine the groups began to dwindle, the men going off to their
-various cottages. One by one the lights went out and by ten o’clock the
-place was in total darkness, save for the lights in the power plant. Jack
-felt very lonesome then. Except for the steady grumble of the generators
-inside the big gray building, not a sound disturbed the stillness. From
-place to place about the village the youth roamed, peering here and there
-for signs of trouble. But mostly he watched in the vicinity of the power
-plant.
-
-This constant vigil was very tiresome, however, and several times he
-paused in a secluded angle of the building and flashed his electric lamp
-on the face of his watch. He was thoroughly glad when the hands pointed
-out the hour of midnight.
-
-He made one more tour of inspection after that, then started up the
-street toward Mr. Ryder’s cottage. He had almost reached his destination
-when suddenly his attention was attracted by a gray shadow moving
-between two cottages some distance to his left. Jack remembered that
-both buildings were occupied by Mexican linemen and his suspicions were
-aroused immediately. As softly as a panther he moved across the roadway
-and gained the corner of one of the buildings. The shadow still lingered
-in the alley and the youth softly slipped his revolver from its holster.
-But just as he was on the point of calling to the man to throw up his
-hands he became aware of another gray shadow moving about. This one was
-coming stealthily up the roadway he had just left and Jack thanked his
-lucky stars that he had hidden himself when he did.
-
-It was quite evident to the Vermonter that the two shadows intended to
-meet, but in order to accomplish this either one or the other must pass
-within six feet of him. For a moment he scarcely knew what to do, for he
-realized that he could not handle two men at once.
-
-The man in the alley had paused, but the one in the roadway came forward
-softly and swiftly. When he was within fifteen feet of the crouching
-youth Jack could see him quite distinctly. He wore a very broad hat and
-the tight jacket of a rurale. Of a rurale! Instantly the old Indian
-doctor’s story about a rurale with an injured foot flashed upon him! This
-must be the man of the scarred heel!
-
-Throwing all caution to the wind, Jack dropped his revolver and leapt
-toward the shadowy figure. It was a perfect flying tackle and the man
-came down with a crash, his legs pinned tightly together, exactly as
-Jack had pinned the legs of many an opposing fullback on the field at
-Drueryville.
-
-The attack was so sudden that the man lay stunned for a moment. Then as
-if he suddenly realized that it was a human being and not a vice that had
-gripped him, the soldier began to struggle. He tried to kick and squirm
-his way out of the boy’s arms, at the same time thrashing about with his
-fists and cursing lustily in Spanish. He was a big man and exceedingly
-powerful and Jack had all that he could do to hold him on the ground.
-
-The lad had the advantage, however, since the native was almost flat
-on his stomach. By careful maneuvering and the help of two or three
-wrestling holds that are known to every American boy he was soon able to
-work himself astride the prostrated one and pin the refractory hands down
-as well. This accomplished, the youth began to shout for help at the top
-of his voice.
-
-Mr. Ryder was first on the scene. He came running across from his
-cottage, a revolver in one hand and an electric flash lamp in the other.
-The Mexican linemen came tumbling out of their cottages a few moments
-later and immediately after two Mexican regulars arrived, all out of
-breath.
-
-“Well, I think we’ve captured our man,” said Jack, panting in his
-excitement. “Here, lay hold of this fellow, so I can stand up.”
-
-The soldiers seized the prostrated one but they still kept him pinned
-flat on his stomach, in spite of his protests.
-
-“Mr. Ryder,” said Jack, “I think this is the man with the scarred foot.
-Turn your light this way until we have a good look at his feet. He hasn’t
-any boots on, that’s certain, for he moved about like a cat.”
-
-Hurriedly the engineer turned the light on the native’s naked feet and
-there, standing out plainly in spite of the dirt and dust, was a long
-scar that extended across the heel and partly up the side of his foot
-toward the ankle. The wound looked exactly as if the man had at one time
-stepped on a very sharp stone that had laid the flesh open to the bone.
-
-“By George, you’re right! He’s our man!” exclaimed the engineer
-jubilantly. Then to the soldiers in Spanish he said:
-
-“Hustle him off to the guardhouse, men, and put a double watch over him,
-for he’s a traitor. I’ll pay a peso a day to the men who watch him, but
-I’ll have the scoundrel shot who lets him get away.”
-
-Without any ceremony the regulars jerked the big man to his feet and
-marched him off down the street, Mr. Ryder and Jack following directly
-behind with their revolvers cocked and ready for action. But the heavy
-door to the prison pen had hardly been bolted behind the rurale when
-the town was aroused by another sensation. From down along the line of
-barbed wire fence came the sharp report of a rifle. The first report was
-followed by two others in quick succession.
-
-“What is it! An attack!” gasped Jack as he rushed forward with Mr. Ryder.
-The sound of firing aroused every man in the camp and in an instant
-half-clad soldiers and workmen came tumbling from barracks hall and
-cottage.
-
-“An attack! an attack!” was the cry they all uttered as they hurried into
-the trenches.
-
-But after the third shot the sentry’s guns were silent so long that Mr.
-Ryder and Jack and Lieutenant Hernandez and Captain Alvarez went to
-investigate.
-
-“What was the trouble?” they demanded of the first soldier they met.
-
-“Shadows came along the fence. Three, four, five of them all came to try
-and cut the wire. One dropped this,” said the sentry as he held up an
-ugly looking _machette_.
-
-“That’s mighty bad news,” said Mr. Ryder, “for it looks to me as if the
-rebels are planning an attack. But we’ll fix these wire cutters to-morrow
-night. In the meantime you fellows keep awake and on the lookout until
-dawn.”
-
-But when the news of the shadowy wire cutters was spread about among
-the men there was little need for extra vigilance on the part of
-the sentries, for every man in the village stayed up until daylight
-discussing the possibilities of an attack. Indeed, the sun was just
-rising as Jack and Mr. Ryder turned in for some much-needed sleep.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XV
-
-IMPROVISED SEARCHLIGHTS
-
-
-“Velly vell, on’y me no likee losee dlishe pans, Misler Lyder. Me no
-velly much can usee pailes to washee dlishes in sometimes. Jus’ samee me
-no likee losee dlishe pan.”
-
-Tom Why’s voice accompanied by the clatter of tin pans awoke Jack next
-day, from a very sound sleep. The lad at first was thoroughly mystified,
-for it was rarely that good natured Tom ever objected to anything either
-he or Mr. Ryder did. It was evident, however, from the pitch of the
-Chinaman’s voice that he was slightly indignant.
-
-“Me can no savvy leason to put holes in him dlish pan. Him alle samee no
-glood then,” continued Tom.
-
-“Well, I want to put wires through the bottom of the pans and make
-searchlights out of them. What if your old pans are spoiled, Tom. When
-the next train comes up from Mexico City I’ll have a carload for you if
-you want them,” said Mr. Ryder.
-
-“Me no wantee clarload. Me wantee tlu dlishe pans, and me no wantee liars
-put thlu him bottom, too.”
-
-“All right, Tom,” laughed the engineer; “you shall have two of the finest
-dishpans south of the Rio Grande if you’ll only let me have these two.”
-
-“Velly vell, velly vell,” said Tom somewhat appeased at such an
-attractive offer.
-
-The conversation had done more than amuse Jack. It had made him
-thoroughly curious, for he could not understand how Mr. Ryder could make
-a searchlight out of a tin dishpan. He lost no time in tumbling out of
-bed and dressing, and five minutes after the engineer had left the house
-the youth was ready to follow him. Just as Jack entered the main room,
-however, Tom Why came in at the back door.
-
-“Hello there, Tom, did Mr. Ryder confiscate your dishpans?” asked the
-boy.
-
-“No him no dloo lat. Him just takee him dlish plans. Him get Tlom Why tlu
-flines likee clums to Melexeclo,” said Tom with a grin. Then he added,
-“Allee samee Jack want him dlinner now?”
-
-“Dinner?” exclaimed the boy, “why, what time is it? Well, by George, if
-it isn’t three o’clock. I’ve slept nearly ten hours. How long has Mr.
-Ryder been up?”
-
-“Him alle samee come from him room an’ slay, ‘Tom, glet my bleckflast!’
-Then him look at him clock him slay, ‘Gleat Clats, him one o’clock. Tom,
-glet me my dlinner!’” Tom tried to imitate the engineer as he quoted Mr.
-Ryder’s remarks and the result made Jack laugh heartily.
-
-In a surprisingly short time the Chinaman had the table spread and a
-steaming hot meal before the young American. But the lad hurried every
-mouthful (much to Tom’s displeasure), for he was eager to reach the plant
-and witness the operation of converting tin dishpans into searchlights.
-Also, he was curious to know what had transpired since dawn that morning.
-
-When Jack reached the little machine shop on the north side of the power
-plant he found Mr. Ryder in the center of a pile of wire, pieces of iron
-pipe, electric light bulbs and all sorts of odds and ends. The engineer
-was busily engaged with one of Tom’s precious tin dishpans.
-
-“Oh! there you are, I thought you were due to sleep all day,” said the
-engineer banteringly as Jack arrived. “You are just in time to witness
-an attempt to build a genuine spotlight out of the cook’s most cherished
-possession.”
-
-“I heard all about it when you were trying to persuade Tom to be generous
-with his pans. What do you mean to do anyway?” said Jack.
-
-“Why, I intend to spring a little surprise on our wire-cutting friends
-this evening if they should happen around, which I expect they will. I’m
-going to put a cluster of electric bulbs in each of these tin dishpans,
-and put them up on iron rods in position so that they will sweep the line
-of barbed-wire defense. I’m going to keep them dark until the sentries
-see the ‘shadows’ that visited us last night, then I’m going to switch
-them on and have a firing party ready. Oh! the wire cutters will receive
-an ideal reception, I’ll warrant. You see, fairly bright tin shaped in
-this manner will magnify the light beam from three to five times and
-that will throw a spotlight as far as necessary. Tin is an excellent
-reflector for all ordinary purposes. With the ten thirty-two candlepower
-lamps which I intend to use in each cluster, I will get a beam of light
-1600 candlepower intensity. Of course that amounts to very little when
-compared with the huge thirty-inch searchlight of ours that magnified a
-light several hundred times.
-
-“These searchlights will be operated by remote control; that is, a wire
-will be run from the lights to the roof of the power station where Phil
-will be on duty as usual. The moment he gets a signal from the sentries
-he will throw on a switch which will connect with both wires and the line
-of fence will be lighted from either direction at once. The firing squad
-will be just beyond the lower trenches and behind the lights, so that
-they will not be blinded by the sudden glare. The bandits on the other
-hand will be surprised and made temporarily blind by the sudden flash of
-light and before they get away the riflemen will discourage any idea of
-future wire cutting parties.”
-
-“It sounds like a first-rate scheme,” said Jack appreciatively. Then
-suddenly remembering the prisoner of the night before he queried: “How is
-our friend, the rurale? Have you seen him to-day?”
-
-“Yes, I’ve seen him,” said the engineer as he paused in his work of
-fitting a group of lamp sockets inside the tin pan. “He’s a mighty meek
-individual too just now. I guess his thoughts are on the trial he’s to
-have to-morrow morning. The chief witnesses over-slept this morning or he
-would probably have faced court-martial before this. It was a lucky thing
-for him that we did oversleep too, for it gives him a few hours longer to
-live at any rate.”
-
-“What does he have to say for himself?” asked the lad.
-
-“Well, in the first place, he’s the man whom Señor Yuai described. He did
-live in the Indian village over the mountain, and he did cut his foot
-by stepping on a _machette_. His name is Alfonso Perro. I asked him why
-he was sneaking about the place last night and he said that he had made
-arrangements with the peon who keeps the cottage for the lineman to get
-some _pulque_ for the troopers. _Pulque_ is the Mexican drink, you know.
-It is made from the sap of the century plant or _maquay_ plant and when
-properly prepared is a very fiery and highly intoxicating drink. Don’t
-ever touch it, my boy, for it has ruined the chance of more than one
-American who acquired a taste for it. We do not allow it to be brought
-into Necaxa at all, but the rurale says that every time the linemen’s
-peon goes to the village he smuggles in several jugs of the stuff. Some
-was smuggled in yesterday and the rurale said he was on his way to get it
-and bring it back to the barracks when you captured him. Of course I have
-had the peon arrested also. He too is in the guardhouse, but he swears
-that he has never smuggled _pulque_ into Necaxa.
-
-“I accused Perro of having tampered with the machinery in the plant from
-time to time and also of stealing my plans, and I must say he is a very
-good actor, for he feigned surprise wonderfully well. But when I told him
-how we set a trap for him and discovered that he had a scar on his foot
-he looked even more surprised, and that surprise was genuine. I think
-Captain Alvarez, of the rurales, is decidedly angry over the whole affair
-and he is determined to have the prisoner face a firing squad as soon as
-possible.”
-
-“Well, I can’t help feeling a little sorry for the man,” said Jack, who
-felt rather unhappy when he realized how much he had helped in sending
-the man to his end.
-
-“I feel sorry myself,” added Mr. Ryder, “and if he would only tell the
-truth about the plans and give me some idea where they are I’d do my
-utmost to save his life. However, the best that I could do would be
-of little avail, I’m afraid, for Captain Alvarez takes charge of all
-prisoners and the man’s fate is entirely in his hands.”
-
-The two searchlights were completed late that afternoon, but Mr. Ryder
-did not make an attempt to erect them until after dark, for as he
-explained to Jack, “Those bandits may have lookouts stationed on the
-mountains, and to have them see our new lights would knock the little
-surprise party into a cocked hat.”
-
-It required but a very little time to put the lamps in place, for the
-engineer had fastened each tin pan to a section of iron pipe and this
-was easily strapped to a tree at either end of the clearing in front of
-the plant. The sentries were carefully coached that night before they
-were sent to their post, and most of the men in the village as well as
-the extra soldiers and rurales, gathered in the trenches to watch for
-developments.
-
-But hours of waiting under such strained conditions was far from
-comfortable and after a while the men grew restive. In twos and threes
-they began to leave for their cottages, quite disappointed that nothing
-spectacular had happened. Jack, who was in the first trench, began to
-grow tired of the suspense too. Indeed, he was just on the point of going
-back to the cottage himself, when suddenly a rifle shot rang out at one
-end of the clearing. This was followed by another further up the line of
-fence and instantly Phil Underwood, on the roof, jammed home the switch.
-
-The flood of light that swept along the barricade revealed almost a score
-of bandits, with _machettes_ and big wire nippers. Some were discovered
-in the very act of snipping strands of wire while others, thoroughly
-frightened, were turning to flee, but they had scarcely moved two steps
-before the roar of a dozen rifles burst forth.
-
-Jack saw two men toss up their hands and pitch forward in the grass.
-Another staggered a few steps, then he too fell in a limp heap. Other
-shots rang out, but the rebels got beyond the range of the improvised
-searchlights and were lost in the dark before any others were brought
-down.
-
-It all transpired so quickly that Jack could hardly believe his eyes.
-He felt as if he had been looking at a motion picture of something that
-had taken place in a far-off land. But he realized the horror of it all
-when several soldiers crawled under the barbed wire fence and picked up
-the three lifeless forms. Indeed, he was forced to turn away, for the
-whole scene became very repulsive to him. The idea of trapping human
-beings like rats and slaughtering them, was hideous. But the other men
-laughed and joked over the occurrence exactly as if they had but recently
-witnessed a performance at a theater.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVI
-
-A WARNING
-
-
-“Hi there, Jack, is that you?” called Mr. Ryder as the lad entered the
-cottage.
-
-“Yes, but what on earth are you doing here with all the rumpus down at
-the plant?”
-
-“Oh, I’ve been here for the last hour or more. To tell you the truth, my
-boy, I did not have the heart to remain and see the outcome. I knew the
-trap would work; in fact, I was afraid it would work too well. How many
-men did they kill, Jack?” There was a note of anxiety in the engineer’s
-voice as he asked the question.
-
-“Three,” replied the boy.
-
-“Well, thank heavens it wasn’t more,” said Mr. Ryder somewhat relieved.
-“The riflemen would have had no compunction if the number had been
-thirty-three, but I have. It seems wicked and inhuman to sacrifice three
-lives in order to teach the beggars a lesson. It makes me very unhappy.”
-
-Jack was glad to find that Mr. Ryder took this attitude in the matter.
-If the truth were known he had secretly felt a little bitter toward the
-engineer for concocting such a diabolical trap. But when he saw how
-unhappy it had made the man his bitterness turned to sympathy.
-
-“It does seem mighty hard to kill three men in order to teach the rest
-of them a lesson, but I suppose it was absolutely necessary for our own
-safety,” said the youth in an effort to relieve the engineer’s feelings.
-
-“You are quite right, my lad. It is hard, but it had to be done.
-Sometimes, you know, the lesson is almost as disagreeable to the teacher
-as it is to the pupil. I hope to goodness we’ll have no more of this
-slaughter, but the way the rebels are acting I am very much afraid
-that we will be in for a real battle before the trouble is settled. I
-sincerely hope I’m wrong.”
-
-The engineer was sitting at the table in the center of the room, a mass
-of blueprints, drawings and typewritten data spread out in front of him.
-His shirt was open at the throat, for the evening was very warm and his
-revolver and cartridge belt had been removed and tossed carelessly on the
-table before him.
-
-“What are all the plans?” queried Jack as he sat down opposite the
-engineer.
-
-“These are the original sketches and preliminary drawings from which I
-worked out my lightning arrester,” replied Mr. Ryder. “It begins to look
-as if the stolen papers weren’t going to turn up. Our rurale with the
-scarred foot denies all knowledge of their whereabouts, which means that
-he will never tell where they are, even if he does happen to know, for a
-Mexican can be mighty stubborn when he feels disposed that way. Under the
-circumstances, I fancy I’ll have to dig a new set of blueprints out of
-these old plans.
-
-“And that isn’t going to be the easiest work in the world, let me tell
-you. I have paid very little attention to the preliminary papers since
-I worked out the final plans and the consequence is many of the more
-important sketches and formulas have disappeared. I am mighty sorry that
-I did not make duplicate drawings before I sent the plans to Drueryville.
-The worst feature of the whole thing is the fact that I have not yet
-applied for patent rights either in this country or the United States.
-I could not take this step until I had secured Dr. Moorland’s formula,
-you know, because that was one of the fundamental features of the new
-appliance. In that case whoever has the plans can very easily apply for
-patents in his own name and then all my work will have been for nothing.
-Indeed, if I wanted to use my own invention after that I would probably
-be forced to pay a royalty to some one else. That would be a fine
-how-de-do, wouldn’t it?”
-
-Though the boy could be of very little assistance to the engineer, just
-then, he remained at the table. Somehow, plans and blueprints had a
-certain fascination for Jack, who hoped to become an engineer some day.
-He spread one of the more simple charts before him and tried to work out
-the details for himself. How long he had been absorbed in this task he
-did not know, but suddenly, just outside the cottage, sounded a patter
-of naked feet, then some one sprang upon the porch in front of the door,
-shouting as he did so:
-
-“_Los Zapatistas! Los Zapatistas! Viene Ellos!_”
-
-“The rebels, they are coming! What can he mean!” shouted Mr. Ryder as he
-leaped from his chair and reached for his revolver. The next instant the
-door was pushed violently open and an Indian exhausted and with blood
-dripping from an ugly wound in his shoulder, plunged into the room.
-
-“It is Miguel the Indian runner, and he’s wounded,” exclaimed Jack,
-immediately recognizing the red man as the one whose dog he had saved
-from the alligator several weeks before.
-
-Clutching the end of the table for support, the native began to talk very
-rapidly, and as the engineer listened, his face took on a startled and
-somewhat puzzled look.
-
-“He says that he has run ten miles to warn us that José Cerro and his
-band are planning to attack us to-night!” explained Mr. Ryder when the
-native finally ceased talking. “He says that they are on the way now
-and that we must hurry and prepare to meet their attack or we will be
-overwhelmed!”
-
-“How does he know this?” demanded Jack, thoroughly excited.
-
-“He carried mail to Los Angeles to-night,” said Mr. Ryder, “and while he
-was lingering in the village a native told him that the famous bandit
-José Cerro was there. The native pointed out the very house where José
-Cerro was drinking _pulque_ with some of his lieutenants. He became
-curious to see a man of such a villainous reputation and crept close to
-the shack and peered into the window. He not only saw the villain but
-he heard most of their conversation. He was startled, for he realized
-that he was overhearing the plans for an attack on the power plant. He
-heard José Cerro say, ‘The fence wires are all cut by now and the big
-searchlight crippled. Everything is ready for the attack. Our men need
-only to rush in, seize Señor Ryder and carry him off. Then I will collect
-three thousand pesos from our benefactor before we start to join Zapata
-and capture the railroad. Then if we play our part right we can hold
-this great electrical engineer for a ransom from his friends in America
-perhaps. If we can’t do that we can kill him at least, though I’d much
-prefer to hold him and collect gringo gold for his release. How say you,
-men?’ At this there were many cheers.
-
-“Miguel became less cautious for he wanted to hear more. The result was
-that José Cerro saw him through the window and fired his revolver at him.
-The bullet hit him in the shoulder. The town was in an uproar immediately
-but the runner did not wait. As fast as he could he ran toward the power
-plant, glad, he says, of an opportunity to be of service to the gringo
-who saved his dog from the alligators.”
-
-The Indian had stood by the table during Mr. Ryder’s recital, his
-face distorted with the pain of the wound in his shoulder, and as the
-lad looked at him he realized just how much hardship the red man had
-withstood to repay a debt of kindness.
-
-“We must prepare to meet the attack immediately,” said Jack calmly, “but
-before I move a step I am going to bind up this poor fellow’s wound and
-see that he is comfortable.”
-
-“Fine! Take care of him and I’ll go and spread the alarm. Hurry down to
-the trenches when you’re through,” said Mr. Ryder as he seized a rifle
-and rushed out the door.
-
-Although Jack could not talk to the Indian, he soon made the red man
-understand by motions that he wanted to take care of the bullet wound.
-The native smiled gratefully at this and sat down in Mr. Ryder’s chair
-while the young American hastened out to Tom Why’s cook house. The lad
-routed the worthy Chinaman out of bed and bade him heat some water
-immediately. In the meantime, he found some clean linen with which to
-make bandages.
-
-Tom Why was a willing assistant and in short order all blood stains
-had been wiped from the runner’s chest and arm and the wound bathed.
-Then Jack bound a bandage tightly about the injured shoulder and after
-preparing a cup of steaming hot coffee, showed the native to one of
-the bedrooms and insisted that he lay down and rest for a while. During
-all this, the tawny yellow hound which had followed the Indian into the
-cottage, kept close to his master’s side. The animal seemed to appreciate
-everything that Jack and Tom did for the redman, for his tail wagged
-furiously all the time. And when the runner lay down upon Jack’s bed the
-hound curled himself up in the doorway as if to keep guard while Miguel
-was sleeping.
-
-When the Indian was comfortable, the Vermonter buckled on his own
-revolver, and slinging a heavy cartridge belt over his shoulder seized
-one of the rifles in the corner and hurried out to the trenches.
-
-At the plant every one was in a state of excitement. The ugly-looking,
-three-inch fieldpiece had been unjacketed and made ready for action. The
-battery of French machine guns, those death-dealing instruments that
-fired more than four hundred shots a minute, had all been mounted and
-manned, and soldiers and workmen alike all fully armed, waited crouching
-in the trenches. The two improvised searchlights were still burning and
-by their light the whole scene looked weird and uncanny.
-
-Mr. Ryder was as active as the rest, directing the position of the
-defenders and arranging other details. But in the midst of it all he
-found time to call Jack aside and hold a brief conversation with him.
-
-“That Indian’s story has me thoroughly puzzled. If all he says is true,
-and I have no reason to believe otherwise, some one is certainly plotting
-for my downfall. Whom do you suppose José Cerro’s ‘benefactor’ is anyway?
-This is the most mysterious situation I have ever been mixed up with
-in my life. It certainly has me guessing. I wonder if—Look! Look! See
-that flash over there! On the mountain! Listen! Hear the roar! It’s the
-rebels! They’ve lugged their old fieldpiece up there again. They are
-trying to drop shells down here! Ho, boys! Bill! Joe! Did you see that
-flash! Throw a shell or two up there the next time they fire!” The last
-was addressed to the men in charge of the three-inch gun.
-
-Again came the flash, then the far-off roar and Jack heard the shell go
-humming high in the air above the plant and burst against the mountain
-across the river. But this time the gun on the mountain was answered
-by the one at the plant. The battery belched forth a cloud of fire and
-smoke and a moment later Jack saw a flash of fire in the woods across the
-valley where the shell exploded. The fieldpiece at the plant was of the
-quick-firing variety and four shots were hurled up on to the mountain
-before another one was sent toward the station.
-
-Twice shells burst within the inclosure about the plant, one carrying
-away a section of the rurales’ barracks hall and setting fire to the
-rest of it. The flames added to the excitement of the occasion but were
-quickly extinguished by two men with a hose, held in readiness for that
-very kind of emergency. Until just before daylight, the firing kept up,
-then the gun on the mountain became strangely silent and the men at
-Necaxa concluded that their shells had put it into disuse forever. But
-when the first golden streak of morning showed above the mountain tops,
-and the valley became light enough for the men to see any distance,
-a new terror took the place of the gun on the mountain. From here and
-there in the underbrush across the valley bottom came tiny jets of
-smoke, and Jack for the first time in his life heard the ominous hum of
-bullets fired with deadly earnestness. José Cerro’s sharpshooters seemed
-everywhere and the flying pellets of lead and steel kicked up the dust in
-all directions. For a long time the rifles in the trenches were silent,
-for the men could locate no one to fire at. The fieldpiece, however, kept
-shelling the forest but with little effect, for the gunners could not see
-the enemy.
-
-Then suddenly two natives showed themselves on the edge of the wood.
-Instantly, a volley rang out from the defenders and the French machine
-guns began to rattle viciously. The battle was on!
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVII
-
-“WHO WILL BE FOOD FOR THE VULTURES!”
-
-
-Of the two men, one advanced. The other lay writhing in pain on the
-ground, but his place was taken by twenty more, forty more, eighty more,
-a hundred, two hundred. They emerged from every bush, from behind trees,
-they arose from the long grass, they appeared as if by magic. On they
-came, yelling, screaming; swarthy faces distorted, the lust of battle in
-their eyes.
-
-“Here they come, boys! Steady! Keep cool and fight, _fight_, FIGHT!”
-screamed Mr. Ryder to the men in the trenches.
-
-His instructions were answered by a mighty cheer; a war-cry that sent a
-thrill down Jack Straw’s back.
-
-All thoughts of danger, all thoughts of everything but the fight, were
-driven from the lad’s brain by that cheer. In his hands he gripped a
-rifle. About his shoulders were two hundred rounds of ammunition. With
-these he must fight, _fight_, FIGHT!
-
-He was surprised to find how calm and collected he felt as he crouched
-there in the first trench, shoulder to shoulder with a rurale on one
-side and Harvey Carroll on the other. Over his head whistled a thousand
-screaming messengers of death. They plunged into the earthy embankment
-in front of him and threw dirt and pebbles into his eyes and mouth.
-They whistled past his cheeks and thumped against the wall of the power
-station behind him. Yet for all he was calm, insanely calm, it seemed to
-him.
-
-Carefully and methodically he slipped a shell from his cartridge belt
-and held it between his teeth while he threw open the breech block of
-his rifle. Without any apparent haste he slipped the brass thing home,
-closed the breech and put the piece to his shoulder. Then with the utmost
-deliberation he selected one of those ugly distorted faces for his target
-and taking careful aim pulled the trigger.
-
-Thus did the boy load and fire, load and fire, a dozen times while the
-screaming mob came on. All along the double line of trenches, workmen
-and soldiers were doing the same as he. And behind him the battery of
-French machine guns, two on the roof and the others against the wall of
-the power station, spat vehemently four hundred times a minute. Yet with
-all this stubborn defense the motley mob advanced. They rushed, shrieking
-and screaming, across the valley bottom toward the barbed-wire barricade,
-pausing only to reload and fire. They came on, on, on, sombreros and
-jackets flapping, red lips parted and white teeth showing like a pack of
-bloodthirsty wolves. Two men reached the barbed-wire fence, one began to
-climb but he stopped at the second strand and his bullet-riddled body
-hung on the fence for the rest of the battle. The other hacked away with
-a _machette_, trying hard to sever the wires. Jack was surprised to see
-how long he remained exposed to the grueling fire before he fell.
-
-Others reached the fence; one man clutched the top strand and vaulted
-clear, but he did not stand on his feet when he landed. Another climbed
-a post only to pitch backward, bowling over two men directly behind him.
-But they came so thick and fast after that, that Jack could only see them
-as a mass. They pressed against the barrier like cattle; they raged, they
-cursed, they screamed, while the bullets from the machine guns mowed them
-down like rye before a scythe. But the press was too great! The fence
-came down with a crash and the way to the plant was cleared for them!
-
-A groan arose from the trenches when the men saw this, for the Necaxa
-force was outnumbered five to one in spite of the havoc of the machine
-guns. Jack’s spirit sank with the rest, for he realized that the end
-was near unless they could stop the rush of that bloodthirsty mob. But
-suddenly he heard a voice above the roar of battle and looking in the
-direction from whence it came, he saw Mr. Ryder standing exposed on the
-embankment of the first trench.
-
-“Boys, boys!” he shouted; “look overhead! The vultures! Shall they feed
-on us or the greasers to-night?” Jack looked aloft, there in the blue
-heavens were two huge birds circling slowly around over the battle
-field. It was dramatic! It was hideous! Others looked, too, and the grim
-specter had its effect.
-
-“The greasers! the greasers! let them be food for the vultures! Make
-them carrion, fellows!” was the cry that went up from the trenches, and
-some men in their anger stood bolt upright to load and fire. The rain of
-bullets that swept down the grassy slope was annihilating. The oncoming
-mob stopped! The rebels’ dogged rush was checked! For five minutes they
-tried to hold their ground against the withering fire. Then suddenly they
-broke and ran for cover.
-
-[Illustration: “They pressed against the barrier like cattle”]
-
-At this a shout of triumph went up from the trenches. The men all stood
-upright then and pumped bullets after the scattered force of José Cerro.
-Jack discarded his rifle entirely and drawing his revolver leapt to the
-top of the breastworks and fired, round after round at the tattered
-brigade that was hurrying across the valley, until the last of the
-Mexicans was lost in the forest. Then he paused and as he wiped the
-perspiration from his brow, he remarked to no one in particular:
-
-“By crackey, for excitement this beats all.”
-
-Harvey Carroll overheard him and smiled. “So it appeals to you, eh?” he
-queried.
-
-“Appeals to me? No, not exactly, but nevertheless it’s exciting! How long
-did it last? About fifteen minutes, I guess.”
-
-But Jack was disillusioned on this point when he looked at his watch. He
-could hardly believe it but he had been in the midst of death for two
-hours and had come through it all without a single scratch. This was
-not true of others, however. From here and there in the trenches came
-groans of anguish, telling plainly that more than one of the murderous
-soft-nosed Mexican bullets had found its mark. Jack saw many motionless
-forms too, and he knew that the power plant would be short handed for a
-while.
-
-The lad did not have long to view the situation, however, for soon
-he heard the voice of the engineer giving commands in English and
-Spanish. These were to the effect that every man should get busy and
-repair the broken-down barricade before the rebels rallied and began
-another assault. Rifles were discarded immediately and axes and shovels
-substituted. With these, soldiers and workmen alike began to reset the
-broken-down posts and restring the wires. Jack and Mr. Ryder did their
-part. They worked side by side with the rest, in spite of the fact that
-they had been longer than twenty-four hours without sleep.
-
-Once Jack paused in his work and standing erect, viewed the valley. Dead
-men lay everywhere. They were piled thick along the line of fence and
-scattered broadcast from the bottom of the slope to the edge of the wood,
-and though the bodies were not yet cold the vultures were feeding. The
-scavengers of Mexico were already at work clearing the battle field.
-
-As soon as the fence was repaired and reinforced with hundreds of feet
-of extra barbed wire which the workmen brought from the storehouse,
-Mr. Ryder appointed a hospital squad and a burial squad from amongst
-the infantry men. They were detailed to go across the valley gathering
-up the dead and the wounded. When this was well under way the engineer
-returned to the plant, to look after the hospital work there. Lyman,
-Carroll and several other Americans who were not needed inside the plant
-at that time, had gathered up the injured and taken them inside a big
-well-lighted toolhouse.
-
-Mr. Ryder glanced about the room; he studied the faces of the wounded and
-scrutinized the attendants closely. Finally, he turned to Jack and said:
-
-“Say, son, have you seen my assistant? Nedham, I mean. I haven’t seen him
-since last night. I was looking for him in the trenches, but couldn’t
-find him. Thought maybe he was wounded early and brought here.”
-
-Jack could not recall having seen Nedham. So Mr. Ryder called Lyman.
-
-“Hi, Lyman, come here.”
-
-Lyman made his way between the prostrated forms to his chief’s side.
-
-“Have you seen Nedham, lately?” queried the engineer.
-
-“Why—er—ah, why I think the last glimpse I caught of him was when the
-three-inch fieldpiece opened up. He came through the operating room.
-Said he was on his way to the roof to look after some machine guns up
-there. Haven’t seen him since.”
-
-“Well,” said Mr. Ryder, “that’s a peculiar place for my assistant when I
-need him alongside of me all the time. If you see him again tell him I
-want him. He’ll find me here with the wounded.”
-
-Jack was surprised to find out how many had been injured in the battle.
-There were more than a score of workmen and soldiers stretched out on the
-toolhouse floor, and the few Americans available had all they could do
-to care for the wants of the wounded. Jack noted that one of the busiest
-of the attendants was the Indian runner whom he had left in his room
-before the battle started. The red man was going about among the wounded
-with a gourd of water in his right hand. His left was bandaged tightly
-across his breast and entirely useless because of José Cerro’s bullet.
-Jack learned later on that the messenger had entered the trenches at the
-opening of the battle and all through the conflict had handled a huge
-six shooter which he had found in Mr. Ryder’s cottage.
-
-The youth and the engineer turned to with the rest and tried to make
-things more comfortable for the sufferers. They had not been at work
-long, however, before Arthur Strong, the tall, light-haired day operator,
-came rushing in. The moment he saw Mr. Ryder he began to shout:
-
-“The lines are down! The lines are down! Mexico City’s service is cut
-off.”
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVIII
-
-THE WIRES ARE DOWN
-
-
-The news was staggering! Mr. Ryder stood blinking at the man for fully
-a minute before he could comprehend the situation. Then as he realized
-that his one desire, to keep the current flowing uninterruptedly into
-Mexico City, had been thwarted, his face grew very white and tense, but
-instantly this expression changed to one of determination.
-
-“We’ll put these lines back again in the face of every obstacle,” he
-thundered. Then, turning, he addressed the men in the room.
-
-“Boys, the lines are down! For the first time since I’ve been in charge
-of Necaxa, Mexico City is without juice! I’m going to open the service
-again! Who is going to help me!”
-
-“I am!” came the chorus and every man who could stand crowded about the
-engineer and pleaded to be taken along. Even some of the wounded men
-raised themselves on their elbows and begged to be permitted to help in
-the crisis.
-
-Quietly and methodically Mr. Ryder went about picking out his assistants.
-Two burly Mexican linemen were the first selected, then Harvey Carroll of
-the maintenance department under whose jurisdiction came all the repair
-work along the transmission line, and last of all a swarthy rurale, known
-among the men as the best rider and best marksman of all the Necaxa troop.
-
-“You five will be enough. Carroll, you and the linemen get your
-repair kits and have the _mozos_ saddle five horses. We’re to start
-immediately.” Then as the men were turning to go, the engineer called
-them together again.
-
-“Perhaps I should warn you boys of the dangers that face us. I have
-an idea that this breaking down of the transmission lines is nothing
-more or less than a trap. Where we find the trouble we will also find a
-swarm of rebels ambushed. They may shoot us from the poles just as they
-would shoot so many pheasants. In fact, the more I think of it the more
-confident I am that they have pulled the wires down for the very purpose
-of luring some of us out into the mountains so that they can square
-accounts. Considering the situation in that light, do you all feel just
-as enthusiastic about going?”
-
-“You bet we do,” came the hearty response and the five men hurried out to
-get their equipment together.
-
-“Fine,” said Mr. Ryder, then turning and addressing the rest of the men
-in the toolhouse he said:
-
-“It will be up to you fellows to guard the place from an attack until we
-return. I know your number is small now and some of our best fighters
-are out of commission, but just the same you must hold the place against
-any further assault. I don’t expect you’ll have much trouble after the
-way we treated José Cerro and his rebels this morning, but nevertheless
-you can’t afford to have your eyes closed. Clear up the place and get
-everything shipshape and ready for instant action.
-
-“And as for you,” he continued, turning to Jack Straw, “you’ve acquitted
-yourself well to-day and I must compliment you. Now, to top off all
-this, I want you to keep your eyes on the clock. It is exactly eleven
-o’clock. If we are not back or you do not get word from us by three this
-afternoon, arrange with Captain Alvarez, of the rurales, to have the
-whole squad ride the transmission line in search of us. They may get
-there in time to find our dead bodies, but anyway we can feel certain of
-a decent burial, can’t we, my boy?”
-
-“You’re right you can, but I certainly hope that we’ll be able to locate
-you before burial is necessary, if we have to look for you at all,”
-replied Jack.
-
-A few moments later the four other members of the repair squad rode up
-to the door of the improvised hospital, leading Mr. Ryder’s mount. The
-engineer shook hands with all his friends and bade them good-by while his
-assistants did likewise. Then when all were mounted and ready, word was
-given and the five horses went racing across the enclosure, through the
-gate and on to the trail that followed the line of transmission cables.
-For half an hour they pushed ahead at a steady canter, keeping a careful
-watch on the shrubbery and underbrush for signs of the enemy. They saw
-any number of dead rebels. All along the trail were bodies of men who had
-been wounded in the recent battle and who had followed their companions
-until they dropped from sheer exhaustion.
-
-About four miles from Necaxa they located the break. The four large
-cables were completely down, but fortunately the parallel telephone wire
-was still in service. At first Mr. Ryder was at loss to know just how the
-peons had done the work until he examined the cable and discovered bullet
-marks.
-
-“I have it,” he exclaimed suddenly; “the greasers have pumped shot into
-the cables and insulators until the lines simply couldn’t stay up. I
-guess the telephone wire was too small for them to hit. I’m mighty glad
-they are such poor shots. They have done very little damage for the
-cables are not cut to amount to anything. All that is necessary is some
-new porcelain insulators on the poles and a little patchwork on the lines
-and we will be able to give Huerta his service in an hour. Come, boys,
-up the poles there and get the insulators in place. Cut in on the ’phone
-line and tell the station we’ll have the work done in an hour.”
-
-The men became active immediately, even the rurale taking a hand in the
-work. From the four repair kits enough insulators were secured to equip
-the pole. The two linemen were sent aloft to install these while Mr.
-Ryder, Carroll and the rurale stayed on the ground to repair the lines.
-They were all so thoroughly busy and so absorbed in their work that none
-of them heard the soft patter of naked feet on the trail and in the
-underbrush about the pole. Indeed, they were surprised almost to the
-point of speechlessness when a wicked-faced little Mexican, revolver in
-hand, stepped into full view before them and requested them in Spanish to
-hold up their hands.
-
-Mr. Ryder and the rurale jumped up simultaneously and reached for their
-guns but the ugly-looking Mexican merely smiled as he turned his revolver
-to cover them completely.
-
-“Ah, Señor Ryder, I would not try to shoot if I were you, the woods are
-full of rifles,” he said very politely in Spanish. And it was true. Mr.
-Ryder could see a peon behind every bush and tree.
-
-“It is José Cerro,” hissed the rurale as he put his hands above his head.
-
-“Yes, it is I, José Cerro,” answered the Mexican calmly. Then turning to
-the engineer he said, “I hoped to get some of you in this trap, but I
-never expected to have the good fortune of capturing Señor Ryder, I am
-sure. I am indeed honored to have you as my prisoner. I am also pleased
-for other reasons, for your capture means three thousand pesos to me and
-perhaps more, who knows.”
-
-“Three thousand pesos! Who will give you that amount?” demanded the
-engineer.
-
-“Ah, señor, would it be loyal of me to reveal the name of my benefactor,
-especially when he does not want his identity known?” asked Zapata’s
-lieutenant suavely. Then he answered the question himself by saying, “No,
-no, that would not be kind. I cannot tell you, Señor Ryder, but I can
-tell you that you must come with me. You must hurry too, before your
-rurales hear of this trap. For my force is far too small as it is, thanks
-to the excellent fighting of you gringoes. Ho! men! come, take these
-monkeys from their perch on the pole. We must away with our prisoners.
-Come!”
-
-A horde of battle-scarred peons appeared immediately, and with
-threatening speech and gestures managed to persuade the two Mexican
-linemen to climb down from the pole. Each of the five prisoners
-was commanded to mount his horse, then according to José Cerro’s
-instructions, peons bound their feet together under the horses’ stomachs
-and tied their hands behind their backs. This done the leader gave a
-few brief commands and the band started to move, striking off at right
-angle to the trail that followed the transmission line. They seemed to be
-following an invisible path through the thicket that led into a narrow
-ravine between the mountains in the direction of the broad valley where
-Los Angeles was located.
-
-But they had hardly left the tiny clearing about the pole when the
-figure of an Indian and a tawny hound crept out of the bushes. The redman
-was clad only in canvas trousers that were rolled up to his knees, and
-his left arm and shoulder was swathed in bandages. A moment he paused
-while his black eyes searched the ground and the surrounding shrubbery.
-Suddenly he caught sight of the narrow trail left by the cavalcade.
-
-“Ugh,” he grunted, “they have gone toward the sunrise. They have no
-horses. We shall easily catch José Cerro.” He paused a moment longer to
-examine the trail, then, standing erect, he mused:
-
-“I am right. Only so many horses as I have fingers, no more. Those are
-Señor Ryder’s.”
-
-And he disappeared as silently as he came.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIX
-
-TO THE RESCUE!
-
-
-It was some time before Jack and the rest of the Americans were able to
-make the wounded comfortable in the makeshift hospital. When the task was
-accomplished, however, Phil Underwood and Lance Carpenter were put in
-permanent charge of the toolhouse. Their first action was to bar everyone
-else from entering the building and disturbing their patients.
-
-Since nothing remained for Jack to do but obey these orders, the lad soon
-left the place and sought employment with the men who were engaged in
-eliminating the evidences of the recent battle from the vicinity of the
-power house. In the meantime, however, he kept careful track of the time
-and constant watch for some message from Mr. Ryder and the repair crew.
-
-As a result of the industriousness of the regulars, the dead and wounded
-were fast being removed from the valley. Those who still showed signs of
-life were carried to the toolhouse to be cared for by Phil and Lance. The
-dead men were carried into the forest to the west. This puzzled Jack for
-he could not understand why graves were not dug in the open. Indeed, he
-became so curious about the whole thing that he finally asked Lyman what
-the regulars did with the bodies.
-
-“In Mexico,” explained Lyman, “they don’t bother to bury dead men after
-a battle. They merely gather them all in one pile, saturate them with
-kerosene and touch a match to them. You see, bodies must be removed
-quickly in the Tropics or serious disease will be spread immediately. The
-funeral pyre is the quickest and best method of avoiding this danger.”
-
-“Goodness, but that’s a gruesome way of caring for the dead. But then, I
-suppose, it is best from a sanitary standpoint and it certainly is far
-better than leaving the remains for the vultures.”
-
-“Si, señor, it es best zan ze vultures,” said some one in broken English,
-and Jack and Lyman turned to find Captain Alvarez, of the rurales,
-addressing them. “I hear your remarks what you say about dead mens and I
-agree. Fire es best zan ze vultures. Oh; ze vultures zay are ah—what you
-call—ah—higeous, eh!”
-
-“Indeed they are hideous. They are the most repulsive creatures I have
-ever seen,” said Jack.
-
-“Ah, you are right, Señor Jack, but it is not of vulture I wish to see
-you for. It is of my mans Alfonso Perro, the one wiz ze scar foot which
-is in ze guardhouse now. We mus give him ze court-martial soon and ze
-execution. Also his peon assistant must we shoot. Will you and Señor
-Ryder be ready for ze court zis evening?”
-
-“I think so,” replied Jack. “I will be ready and I think Mr. Ryder will—”
-
-“Who is that,” interrupted Lyman, pointing across the clearing in the
-direction of the trail that followed the transmission line.
-
-Jack beheld a swarthy, long-haired individual clad only in white trousers
-running toward the power plant, a dog loping along at his heels. The
-man’s stride was long and regular, like that of an experienced distance
-runner, and the lad recognized him immediately as the Indian messenger.
-
-“Why, it’s the runner. I saw him here at the plant only an hour ago. I
-wonder where he’s been? I’ll warrant he has word about Mr. Ryder.”
-
-Together Jack and Lyman hurried to greet the messenger who by this time
-had crawled under the barbed-wire fence and was swinging up the slope.
-But while he was still some distance away he began to call in Spanish.
-
-“What does he say?” queried Jack of Lyman, who had been listening
-intently to catch every word.
-
-“Quick, call out the rurales!” replied Lyman; “he says that the repair
-crew has been taken prisoners by José Cerro himself!”
-
-“But how does he know? How did he get the information?” demanded Jack.
-
-“Don’t know, he must have slipped out and followed Mr. Ryder and his men.
-Hurry, we’ve no time to lose. He will guide us.”
-
-But Captain Alvarez had followed them down the slope and he needed no
-persuading. He had understood everything the Indian said and even while
-Lyman was urging him to hurry the officer drew a tiny silver whistle
-from his pocket and blew three shrill blasts upon it. A moment later an
-orderly appeared running toward the commander.
-
-Brief instructions were given and the soldier hurried back toward the
-plant again. Five minutes later the clear notes of a bugle echoed and
-re-echoed through the valley, calling the troopers to saddle.
-
-By the time the three arrived at the corral the rurales were ready. There
-were other horsemen, too, eager to go to the rescue of Mr. Ryder, for the
-news had been spread throughout Necaxa and all the Americans who could be
-spared and who could find horses or mules to ride upon had gathered with
-the troopers.
-
-_Mozos_ found mounts for Jack and Lyman and the Indian runner, and in
-less than twenty minutes after Miguel appeared upon the trail the troop
-was galloping out of the enclosure and along the path that followed the
-transmission lines. Captain Alvarez, the Indian, Jack and Lyman were in
-the lead and the rest of the band was strung out behind, their position
-depending entirely upon the speed of their horses. And as they galloped
-toward the break in the transmission line the wounded Indian explained
-how he had left the toolhouse hospital and followed the repair crew at
-a distance, hoping to be of assistance in case of trouble. But soon
-he began to find traces of the presence of rebels along the trail. He
-tried to reach Mr. Ryder and warn him of the ambush, but he said that
-the woods in the vicinity of the pole on which the men were working were
-so full of José Cerro’s men that he could not get through their lines
-without running the risk of being shot. Quietly he waited until he could
-be certain of the direction José Cerro and his men would lead their
-prisoners. Then he returned to Necaxa as fast as he could run.
-
-[Illustration: “The horsemen in green swept down the valley”]
-
-Half an hour after the rurales left the plant they arrived at the point
-where the transmission line was down. Here the Indian dismounted and
-looked over the ground carefully.
-
-“They are many peons,” he said laconically to Captain Alvarez as he
-remounted and started toward the trail that led into the ravine. In
-single file the horsemen followed their guide, for nearly an hour before
-they reached the end of the rocky pass, from the mouth of which they
-could look down into the broad valley that held Los Angeles. Off in the
-distance Jack saw a line of soldiers winding its way toward the little
-community.
-
-“There, there, over there! Those are José Cerro’s men with their
-prisoners!” exclaimed Captain Alvarez in Spanish. “Come! At them, men!”
-
-The call of the bugle trumpeting the charge sounded through the
-valley. José Cerro and his men heard it and began to hurry forward at
-double-quick time. But they soon saw that escape was impossible, for the
-horsemen rushed down upon them swiftly. All that remained for the peons
-to do was stand and fight. Hurriedly they formed a circle about their
-prisoners and with guns pointing on every side prepared to repel the
-rurales.
-
-The horsemen in green swept down from the ravine ’mid the thunder of
-hoofs and the shouts of infuriated men! Indian fashion the squad split, a
-wing skirting either side of the valley. On they came firing from their
-saddles with carbine or revolver and menacing José Cerro’s men from every
-side. But the little knot of peons were courageous. They loaded and fired
-in lightning fashion and the rattle of their musketry sounded like a
-battery of machine guns in action. They were making a last and desperate
-stand and they fought doggedly!
-
-Round and round the little group of men swept the cavalry, making the
-circle ever narrower. Jack rode with the rest of them, lying close to his
-horse’s neck and firing his revolver. But in the heat of it all he never
-took his eyes from the prisoners in the center of the circle of rebels.
-There were Mr. Ryder and his assistants exposed to the fire of the men
-from the plant. Jack expected to see one of them topple from his horse at
-any moment, pierced by the bullets of their friends.
-
-But gradually the nerve of the fighting rebels began to go. Three of them
-left their companions and tried to break through the line of horsemen.
-Jack saw a rurale ride one of them down. The other two were shot before
-they had gone a dozen yards. Two more tried to get through, only to
-be trampled down by the flying horsemen. José Cerro and his men were
-trapped. There was no way for them to get beyond the circle of horsemen.
-Some threw down their arms and cried for mercy while others broke and
-ran; ran as far as they could go before a bullet brought them to the
-ground or a horse trampled them under foot.
-
-Then in the midst of it all, while Jack was still keeping a watchful eye
-on Mr. Ryder, the lad saw the engineer suddenly jerked down from his
-mount, and in his place on the horse’s back appeared a wicked-looking
-little Mexican. The man set spurs to the horse immediately and tried to
-ride through the crush of humans about him. He cursed and shouted for his
-men to make way and those who did not move fast enough he beat over the
-head with the butt of his revolver.
-
-“Look! look!” shrieked Jack; “their leader is getting away! José Cerro
-is escaping!” Then rolling his spurs across his animal’s flanks he gave
-chase. But others saw the escaping leader and more than one horseman
-turned his mount down the valley after the fleeing rebel.
-
-It was a short race. José Cerro had hardly time to get his steed down to
-its pace before Jack and two rurales reached his side. One man seized the
-horse’s bridle and threw the animal back up on its haunches. With a curse
-the Zapatista drew his revolver. But Jack happened fortunately to be on
-the right side of the rebel. His revolver spat fire twice before the
-Mexican could raise his arm. José Cerro shrieked with pain. The revolver
-dropped from his helpless fingers and he reeled in the saddle. The other
-rurale caught him as he was falling and steadied him on the prancing
-horse.
-
-The fighting had ceased by this time for most of the peons, seeing
-their leader in full flight, had surrendered. The Mexican linemen and
-the Americans who were still tied to their horses had been liberated
-immediately and the rurales were busy forming the remainder of the rebel
-band in a double line and disarming them.
-
-Jack and Mr. Ryder greeted each other warmly when the former drove up,
-escorting the wounded leader.
-
-“By George, boy, I’m mighty glad you got the rurales out when you did. It
-began to look to us as if we were in for a rather disagreeable time with
-José Cerro. José, you know, is a dangerous individual at best, and any
-one who is unfortunate enough to become his prisoner is very liable to
-suffer.”
-
-“Yes, I am glad I arrived before it was necessary to superintend your
-‘decent burial,’ but the credit is not due me. Miguel, our Indian runner,
-once more appeared in the nick of time. He saw you leaving for the
-mountains and all unknown to us he trailed you. He saw you captured and
-hurried back to the plant and spread the news. Where is he now?”
-
-“There he is yonder on his horse, looking like a bronze statue. I’m
-going over and shake hands with him. He’s a brave boy,” said Mr. Ryder.
-
-To have the great gringo engineer shake hands with him and compliment
-him pleased the Indian runner a great deal in spite of the fact that he
-became very self-conscious when Mr. Ryder told him how brave he really
-was.
-
-“I’m not brave,” he said in Spanish. “I merely repay a kindness. Also, I
-am glad to see José Cerro captured. If he is not killed by the rurales I
-myself will kill him for this.” The Indian pointed gravely to his wounded
-shoulder as he spoke.
-
-But Mr. Ryder did not hear all that the Indian said for the grounded
-transmission line was worrying him. He looked at his watch then hurried
-off to where Carroll and several men from the plant were standing.
-
-“Come, we’ve still time to fix up that transmission line before
-nightfall. Get the linemen together and we’ll start back through the
-ravine. The Indian will lead us and if we hurry we will be able to put
-things in condition so that Mexico City can have light to-night.”
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XX
-
-“SHOOT! SHOOT!”
-
-
-It was long after sunrise next morning when the cavalcade of horsemen
-and their prisoners appeared at the station. Though the wires had been
-restrung and service started at nightfall the previous evening, the
-rescuers and rescued as well were too tired even to make the four-mile
-ride back to the plant. They had all been without sleep for practically
-forty-eight hours and even while the lines were being repaired many
-of the rurales tossed themselves on the ground and promptly became
-unconscious. The result was a night camp along the transmission line
-trail with no guard except that maintained over the prisoners, and this
-was hardly necessary for the rebels had been awake as long, if not
-longer, than the men from the power house, and were equally as tired.
-
-Necaxa was not awake either when the rurales arrived. Aside from the few
-regular soldiers who were doing sentry duty, no one seemed to be stirring
-about the little town. The night men, who had been forced to stay awake
-longer than the rest, had already left the station and crawled into bed
-thoroughly weary. But the clatter of hoofs and the shouts of the soldiers
-greeting the returning fighters awakened many of them and attracted the
-attention of the men at work in the power station. Soon the community
-was alive with curious soldiers and workmen, all eager to hear of the
-adventures of Mr. Ryder and his repair crew. But when they saw the line
-of prisoners and beheld José Cerro, helpless on a stretcher made of one
-of the rurale’s blankets, they cheered lustily, for the capture of the
-rebel leader meant that the country was rid of one of its most vicious
-bandits.
-
-Arthur Strong, the day operator, was one of the first to greet the
-engineer. The moment he heard the soldiers arrive he left the control
-room in charge of his assistant and hurried downstairs.
-
-“By Jove, we were mighty pleased to get your telephone message last
-night,” he said to Mr. Ryder. “We thought that Cerro had done away with
-all of you. I am glad to see you again. You too, Jack, old boy.” Strong
-shook hands with his superior as he spoke. “And, say, perhaps you don’t
-think we’ve had one fine time around here since you left yesterday
-afternoon,” he continued, to Mr. Ryder. “Things nearly went to the devil
-until we locked that man Nedham up.”
-
-“Nedham,” exclaimed Mr. Ryder; “what’s he been doing?”
-
-“Doing?” exclaimed Long; “why the man’s been drunk on _pulque_! You know
-what that stuff will do with you. I hadn’t seen him since the battle
-until last night after the rurales cleared out. About eight o’clock he
-came stumbling into the control room. His eyes were bulging out and his
-face was red and ugly. I was on duty and I had about made up my mind to
-stick through the night, since Lyman had gone with the rescuers. Nedham
-came staggering in just when I was busiest. He said _he_ was going to
-run the plant for the night. I could see that he was in no shape to run
-anything nor to issue orders either, so I told him to get back home and
-sleep it off. Then he got ugly. But I knew he was drunk so I did not
-bother with him. Then he became insistent and noisy and when he tried to
-punch me I had to call in two soldiers. They took him to the guardhouse.
-He was in there all last night. This morning I let him out. I think he is
-up at his cottage now, very much the worse for his spree.”
-
-“What a fine assistant I have!” said Mr. Ryder sarcastically. “Tell Lyman
-to go and rout him out. I want to talk with him.”
-
-While the engineer and the operator were talking, Captain Alvarez and
-his rurales arranged their prisoners in line along the south wall of the
-power station. This scene had interested Jack far more than the recital
-of Nedham’s drunken actions for it began to look to the lad as if a
-wholesale slaughter was about to take place.
-
-“Heavens, I hope Captain Alvarez doesn’t intend to execute them all,”
-said the youth to Mr. Ryder when the day operator ceased talking. “That
-would be hideous. It would be brutal murder. You can’t countenance such
-actions, Mr. Ryder?”
-
-“Indeed I can’t,” said the engineer, hurrying toward Captain Alvarez,
-“and besides I want to have a word with Cerro before any execution takes
-place. I think that man knows some things that will help clear up the
-mystery that surrounds all our recent trouble.”
-
-To do justice to the Mexican commander it must be said that he had not
-intended to have a wholesale execution. He explained this to Mr. Ryder
-quite frankly and stated that he merely intended to make the rebel leader
-face the firing squad while his followers looked on. He thought that
-it would be a capital way of teaching a lesson. After the execution he
-purposed sending the whole horde of prisoners to Mexico City, where they
-would be turned over to General Rodriguez to be confined in the military
-prison.
-
-“If it is all the same to you,” said Mr. Ryder, “I would like to have a
-few words with Cerro before he is shot.”
-
-“Certain,” said the officer, “only et ez not so easy to mek him to talk,
-he is ah what you call—ah—to handle hard you know.”
-
-The rebel leader was lying on the ground near the entrance to the
-guardhouse. His wounds had been bound up the evening before by one of his
-followers, but in spite of all efforts to ease him, it was quite evident
-that the man was suffering a great deal.
-
-Mr. Ryder bent over the prostrate form and spoke in Spanish. “José Cerro,
-you are going to die. You will soon face the firing squad. Tell me who
-would give you three thousand pesos for my capture.” But in spite of his
-pain the little black-haired Mexican smiled grimly and shook his head.
-
-“No,” he said. “I cannot tell, no, no.”
-
-Mr. Ryder was about to press his question again, however, when Lyman
-appeared, leading a very white and very nervous-looking individual whom
-Jack recognized as Nedham.
-
-“Here’s your assistant, Mr. Ryder; you said you wanted to see him,” said
-Lyman.
-
-But before the engineer could speak Nedham caught sight of the man on the
-ground. He shrank back in terror and gasped.
-
-“Oh, it’s José Cerro!”
-
-Mr. Ryder looked searchingly at his trembling assistant, for he could not
-understand what made the man so frightened at seeing the wounded rebel
-leader. He did not have long to speculate on the reason for such strange
-actions, for Captain Alvarez came to speak to him.
-
-“You could no make José speak?” queried the officer.
-
-“No, he refused to answer my questions.”
-
-“Ah-ha, did I not tell you zay all are so like that.” Then turning to
-José Cerro, he said in Spanish, “You are to die. Can you stand up to face
-the firing squad or must we prop you against the wall?”
-
-“I shall die standing,” said the rebel proudly, “and you shall not
-blindfold me either.”
-
-“All right, get up; we have not time to lose, two others are to be shot
-after you. Perro, our traitorous rurale, and his peon companion die
-to-day,” said Captain Alvarez brutally.
-
-“Carlos! Jesus! come, help your leader to rise; he must die standing,”
-called José Cerro to two of the peon prisoners.
-
-The faithful followers left their places and raising the wounded man to
-his feet, assisted him to the spot designated by the commander of the
-firing squad. That his effort to walk was causing the rebel excruciating
-pain was evident from the expression on his face. It took him some time
-to limp across the space in front of the firing squad even with the help
-of his men.
-
-While he was taking his place before the five executioners, a hush
-fell over the scores of men that stood about. Every one was tense and
-silent. José Cerro’s attendants shook hands with him solemnly and left
-him standing there alone. Slowly the five riflemen brought their guns to
-position and took aim. Then just as the officer was raising his sword to
-give the firing signal, José Cerro spoke.
-
-“A moment,” he said in Spanish, “just a moment. I wish to speak—”
-
-“No! No! Shoot! Shoot! Don’t let him speak,” screamed a voice in English.
-
-It was Nedham, trembling and on the point of collapse. His face was
-distorted with fear and he was forced to cling to Lyman to keep from
-falling to the ground.
-
-“So, Señor Nedham, you turn against me now,” hissed the rebel leader.
-“You would have me shot without speaking my last words. You thought me
-a traitor who would tell your plot. That was not intended. But now I
-will tell. Come, Señor Ryder, listen. It was Señor Nedham who plotted
-against you. He it was who offered three thousand pesos for your capture,
-I—I—was—.” The sentence was cut off abruptly for the wounded man, weak
-with the exertion of standing, suddenly pitched forward on his face.
-
-The rebel leader’s two loyal followers hurried to his side to lift him
-back up on his feet, but he was only semi-conscious and it was evident to
-both that in a few moments more the firing squad would be cheated of its
-work.
-
-In the meantime, Nedham, regaining some of his shattered nerve, tried to
-bolt through the crowd but Jack and Lyman seized him and threw him to the
-ground.
-
-“Hurry, Mr. Ryder, take off his left shoe,” cried Jack. “I have an idea
-that this is the man who stole your drawings and tried to wreck the
-plant.”
-
-The shoe and stocking were quickly removed and much to the engineer’s
-amazement a deep scar was revealed running diagonally across Nedham’s
-heel.
-
-“But—but—why I thought we had the man with the scarred heel under
-arrest,” said Mr. Ryder thoroughly mystified.
-
-“Yes,” said Jack, “but it flashed upon me a moment ago that the rurale’s
-scar was on his right heel, while the scar mark in the dust was on the
-left foot. Don’t you remember? Here comes the rurale now, go look for
-yourself.”
-
-Two men were leading Perro from the guardhouse toward the firing squad.
-He was still barefooted for no one had been considerate enough of his
-comfort to return his cavalry boots to him since his arrest.
-
-“Let me see your left heel,” said Mr. Ryder in Spanish, and obediently
-the rurale raised his foot.
-
-“By George, there’s no scar there! Is it on the right foot? Let me see!
-But it was not necessary for the rurale to raise his right foot for the
-scar extended half way up the man’s ankle and was plainly visible from
-the right side.
-
-“Well, this came near being a fatal mistake,” exclaimed the engineer.
-Then to the rurale in Spanish he said, “I’m glad to know you’re not a
-traitor anyway, my man.”
-
-And the Mexican grinned for he could see by the expression on Mr. Ryder’s
-face that he was not to be executed.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXI
-
-“YES, YES, I DID IT!”
-
-
-Nedham’s _pulque_ drinking had completely shattered his nerves and the
-effects of the liquor combined with the revelation of José Cerro had
-well nigh made a physical wreck of the assistant engineer. Indeed, as he
-stood in the center of the room in Mr. Ryder’s cottage, where he had been
-brought by Lyman and Captain Alvarez, he swayed backward and forward,
-and if Jack had not brought him a chair in all probability he would have
-collapsed completely.
-
-He looked at his inquisitors with staring bloodshot eyes, and his fingers
-worked nervously at the buttons on the front of his shirt. His condition
-was pitiable and Jack and Mr. Ryder both felt sincerely sorry for him.
-
-“Nedham, where are those plans you stole from my desk! You are the
-thief, aren’t you?” demanded Mr. Ryder.
-
-“Plans?” said Nedham, trying his best to feign ignorance. “What plans?
-I—I—know—”
-
-“Stop,” roared the engineer, “don’t lie, we know you are the guilty man.”
-
-“I tell you—I—I—Oh, God, yes, yes, I did it! It’s true.” Nedham could
-control his shattered nerves no longer. He broke down completely. “I
-stole the plans! I stole them! They are under the mattress of my bed!
-They’ve been haunting me ever since I took them! Curse the things! If I
-had had the courage I’d have burned them long ago! I did the rest too!
-I crippled the generators! I smashed the searchlight! I offered the
-three thousand pesos for your capture! I did it all—all—and now, thank
-goodness, I’ve confessed! It’s all over! The strain! The strain! It was
-horrible! I had to get drunk—beastly drunk.”
-
-Thus he raved until he was almost completely exhausted, and his physical
-self, unable to bear the strain any longer, caved in completely. His
-head dropped forward on his chest and his hands fell helplessly over the
-arms of the chair. He was unconscious for nearly a quarter of an hour
-and it was only by administering violent restoratives that Jack and the
-engineer managed to make the man himself once more.
-
-For some time the four sat staring at the helpless engineer. Finally Mr.
-Ryder spoke.
-
-“Why did you do this deviltry, Nedham?” he asked with a trace of
-disappointment in his voice.
-
-“I—I—well I was ambitious—and—I guess a little jealous of you too,”
-said Nedham weakly. “You know you only beat me out by two points in the
-competition for chief engineer and—well—I couldn’t help feeling bitter
-toward you. I wanted your job, and I wanted it badly, and from the time
-you appointed me your assistant I started to scheme ways of getting you
-out.”
-
-“But what good would all your plant-wrecking have done? Why did you put
-sand in the generators and disrupt the place in general?” queried the
-engineer.
-
-“Well, first off I hoped to frighten you into resigning. I—I—thought
-perhaps when you found you had traitors among the men at the plant you
-might fear for your own safety and resign, but when I learned how angry
-Huerta grew with each new occurrence and how often he called you on
-the telephone and raised the devil with you I saw a new way of getting
-your job. I concluded that if the trouble was kept up long enough the
-President would dismiss you entirely as an incompetent manager and put
-me in charge. The day they called you down to Mexico City and had you up
-before the directors I felt mighty confident that you would not last long.
-
-“You brought this youngster back with you and from then on my plans
-began to go wrong. I saw you two pass the office the first night Jack
-was here. I followed you into the generating room and hid behind one of
-the machines. I saw you sprinkle the cement dust and I knew you were
-setting a trap. But as I watched it suddenly occurred to me that you were
-unconsciously giving me a capital opportunity of throwing you off the
-trail entirely. Thereafter I decided to work with my feet bared so that
-you would think a peon was doing the damage. I forgot completely about
-the scar on my heel until it was too late.”
-
-“But the plans; the drawings of the lightning arrester. How did you even
-know of their existence? I kept my work on that appliance very secret
-indeed,” interrupted Mr. Ryder.
-
-“Well, after I watched you set your trap I followed you back to the
-cottage for I was curious to hear what you might have to say about the
-situation. I saw the bundle of drawings drop from your shirt. Also I
-saw where you put them. And although I did not have the slightest idea
-what the plans were about I decided that so long as I had gone that far
-I might just as well take a look at your private papers too. I thought
-perhaps they were orders or instructions you had received from Huerta
-that day.
-
-“I waited until you were both sound asleep, and slipped into the room
-and opened your desk. It did not take me long to learn that the papers
-were drawings of a lightning arrester of a type I had never seen before.
-Then it occurred to me that the appliance was one of your own invention.
-I looked for patent marks and could find none and on the impulse of the
-moment I slipped the yellow envelope into my pocket and went back to the
-plant. I figured that I had made a double coup, for if you were to build
-that lightning arrester and install it here you would win the favor of
-President Huerta and consequently my efforts would all be wasted. Also I
-was dishonest enough to think that perhaps I could easily secure a patent
-on the appliance in my own name when I finally got you out of the way.”
-
-“Nedham! I never would believe it of you,” said the engineer
-reproachfully.
-
-“Don’t, don’t, please don’t reproach me, Heaven only knows where my
-manhood has gone to,” cried Nedham in agony.
-
-“And do you mean to say that you deliberately brought on battle and
-caused hundreds of lives to be sacrificed merely to get me out of my
-position?” asked Mr. Ryder incredulously.
-
-“Yes, yes, I did. I offered José Cerro three thousand pesos to get you
-out of the way. I did not want you killed. No, no, I was not as base as
-that. I merely wanted you captured and kept a prisoner so long that when
-you were finally released I would be safely intrenched here and in the
-favor of the President to such an extent that you could never regain your
-position. José Cerro thought an attack the only way to get you, and I
-smashed the searchlight and did everything else to help him. Oh, it was
-villainous work, I know. Heaven forgive me, I must have been mad.”
-
-The three Americans present were utterly amazed at the man’s treachery,
-but Captain Alvarez did not understand fully, for his knowledge of
-English was so meager that he could not follow the strange recital in
-every detail. When the story was translated for his benefit, however,
-his fiery temper became aroused to such a pitch that the three Americans
-could hardly restrain him from rushing at the helpless assistant engineer
-and beating him senseless with his fist.
-
-“The dog! The traitor!” roared the Mexican in Spanish. “_He_ should be
-killed! _He_ should face the firing squad! Come, drag him out! We will
-shoot him! We will shoot him!”
-
-“No! no!” shrieked Nedham, a look of horror coming into his ashen face.
-“No! no! you cannot kill me! You cannot shoot me! I am an American
-citizen!”
-
-“He is right,” said Mr. Ryder. “We cannot execute him without bringing
-on international complications that would be distasteful to President
-Huerta. No, we can’t shoot him, even though he does deserve it. But we
-can expel him from the Republic of Mexico. Put him in the guardhouse,
-Captain Alvarez, and this afternoon we will ship him to Mexico City with
-the rest of our prisoners. We can turn him over to the authorities there
-and request that he be sent out of the country immediately.”
-
-A look of relief spread over Nedham’s face when he heard Mr. Ryder’s
-opinion.
-
-“Oh, never fear, I’m only too willing to be quit of this country. I can’t
-see how any man can keep straight in this hole of iniquity.”
-
-“It was not a hole of iniquity until treacherous villains of your stamp
-came into it,” retorted Mr. Ryder. Then turning to Captain Alvarez
-he said, “Call in your trooper and have him taken to the guardhouse.
-The train for Mexico City will be made up as soon as possible. In the
-meantime you and Lyman stay here and sample one of Tom Why’s excellent
-dinners. Things have gone so far to the devil lately that I haven’t had
-time to enjoy a good dinner myself. After dinner I’ll accompany you to
-Mexico City for I will have to make a report of this whole matter to our
-directors. I guess the plant will be safe enough in the hands of my new
-assistant, Mr. Lyman.”
-
-The night operator’s face beamed when he heard, thus abruptly, of his
-promotion and he blushed like a schoolboy when Jack and Captain Alvarez
-congratulated him.
-
-“I envy you,” said Jack Straw heartily, “for there’s nothing I’d like
-more than to be connected with a huge generating station like this.”
-
-“Well, we’ve room for a boy here, and we could teach you a great deal
-about the electrical industry. Why don’t you apply for a position,” said
-Lyman meaningly, at the same time glancing in the direction of Mr. Ryder.
-
-“Oh, no,” said the lad from Vermont, “I’ve already been away from
-Drueryville a month and I think it is about time I hurried back. In
-fact, I’ve decided to go in on the train this afternoon with Mr. Ryder.
-Some day after I have acquired a real training at ‘Sheff.’ or some other
-engineering school I may visit Necaxa again. Who knows?”
-
-“Well, if we are still here you can be certain of a welcome, my boy,”
-said Mr. Ryder heartily.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXII
-
-GOOD-BY, NECAXA
-
-
-The string of flat cars and the snorting steam engine were waiting when
-Jack, Mr. Ryder, the new assistant engineer and Captain Alvarez arrived.
-Indeed, the soldiers and rurales were already hurrying their prisoners
-aboard. Wicked-looking regulars were stationed at each end of the cars
-and there appeared to be small chance of any of the peons escaping from
-the train during its journey toward the capital.
-
-In half an hour everything was ready. Jack found that a large group of
-workmen had gathered to see him depart and he shook hands with each one
-of them before he finally swung aboard the platform of the yellow caboose
-and took his place beside Mr. Ryder and Captain Alvarez. Slowly the
-little train gathered headway and with the cheers of the men ringing in
-his ears Jack Straw said good-by to Necaxa. But the string of cars had
-scarcely gone two hundred yards when a figure elbowed its way through the
-crowd of workmen and soldiers and came swinging down the narrow track at
-a rapid pace. His shoulder was bandaged about with white cloth and at
-his heels followed a tawny, long-eared hound. It was Miguel, the Indian
-runner, and his dog.
-
-After some effort the agile messenger overtook the train and jumped
-aboard the steps of the caboose. Hastily he held out his hand toward
-Jack and mumbled something in Spanish. The lad from Vermont was greatly
-pleased that the redman was so eager to say farewell to him that he
-risked jumping aboard the moving train, and he wrung the Indian’s hand
-warmly.
-
-“What did he say?” asked Jack of Mr. Ryder when the messenger had swung
-to the ground.
-
-“He said ‘I am still in debt to you for saving my dog. Many thanks, many
-thanks,’” replied Mr. Ryder.
-
-“Well, it strikes me that he paid that debt off several times during the
-last few days,” laughed Jack as he waved to the Indian who remained
-standing in the center of the track watching the departing cars.
-
-The news of the battle and the treachery of Nedham at Necaxa reached the
-capital over the long-distance telephone wire long before the train with
-the prisoners arrived and when Jack and Mr. Ryder entered the American
-Hotel after Nedham and the rest of the prisoners had been turned over to
-the proper authorities, they found the evening papers crowded with the
-news. Pictures of the prisoners that had been brought in, pen sketches of
-the battle and photographs of the plant at Necaxa occupied the front page
-of the dailies and scare headlines fairly shouted the details attending
-the capture of José Cerro and his band. Fortunately one of the papers
-printed an American as well as a Mexican edition and Jack was able to
-read the full account of his own adventures.
-
-The capture of José Cerro was the subject of conversation in the
-dining-room of the hotel that evening too, and many of Mr. Ryder’s
-friends sought him out and congratulated him on the successful way in
-which he had handled things at Necaxa through all the trouble. Indeed,
-after a time the publicity that they were attracting became distasteful
-to the two Americans and they made haste to finish their meal.
-
-But just as they were leaving the dining-room a tall sun tanned
-individual rushed up and clapping Mr. Ryder on the shoulder fairly
-shouted:
-
-“Why, Harry Ryder, you old fighting engineer, I am glad to see you alive
-after such a mixup. And as I live here is my young friend, Jack Straw.”
-Jack instantly recognized the man as Mr. Warner, the marine engineer whom
-he had met on board the _Yucatan_ on his way south to Vera Cruz. The
-lad was more than pleased to see Mr. Warner once more and shook hands
-cordially.
-
-“Hello there, Jim Warner!” exclaimed Mr. Ryder; “what the dickens are you
-doing down in this part of the world?”
-
-“Why, I’ve been tinkering with the old Lobo’s Island Light for nearly
-a month. To tell you the truth, I’ve just finished the job and knowing
-that you were within a few hundred miles of me I decided to run in to
-see you. I was going out to Necaxa to-morrow and spend a week or two
-with you, but unfortunately that can’t be done for I’ve just received
-a telegram from Washington instructing me to go ahead with a mighty
-big undertaking I’ve been figuring on. I’ll have to hustle back to the
-coast immediately. And in view of the fact that you have been having
-quite a fuss out there I’m rather glad my plans have been changed. I’m
-not hankering to be drilled through by a soft-nosed bullet just now,”
-concluded Mr. Warner with a smile.
-
-“Oh! you would soon get used to those little things,” said Jack
-banteringly.
-
-“I suppose so,” replied the marine engineer. “You must have had rather an
-adventurous month there.”
-
-“Indeed I did,” answered Jack.
-
-“Well, how would you like to have another month of thrills? If you feel
-inclined that way, come along with me. If you don’t fight men you’ll
-fight the elements. I am going to cruise the high seas for Uncle Sam.”
-
-“That sounds interesting,” said Jack, “but I am going north on the next
-steamer from Vera Cruz.”
-
-“So am I, and we’ll get a chance to talk it over anyway,” said Mr. Warner.
-
-
-VAIL-BALLOU CO., BINGHAMTON AND NEW YORK
-
-
-
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