CHAPTER XXVII.--DICK IN PERIL.
The special train bearing Mr. Willing, Colonel Ashton, Dick and CaptainVon Blusen arrived in Mazatlan only two hours after that on whichShirley and Mabel had reached the city. The four went at once to theAmerican consulate.
Consul Edwards had been unable to accompany them, but after sending thetelegram requesting that the fugitives be shadowed, he had written anote to Consul Harrington at Mazatlan and this he had given to Mr.Willing as a means of introduction.
Mr. Willing sent in the letter to the consul, and the latter receivedthem immediately.
"I have a man shadowing the fugitives," said the consul. "I told him toreport here the minute he was sure he had run his quarry to earth."
"Is there no danger they will elude him?" asked Dick anxiously.
"Not much," was the smiling reply. "Fisher was formerly a newspapermanand has had considerable experience along that line."
And the consul was right. A short time later Fisher appeared.
"Have you found their refuge?" was Colonel Ashton's first question afterthe introductions had been made.
"I followed a man, two women and two girls to a native house in theeastern extremity of the city," was the reply. "I have no doubt they arethe right ones."
"Good," returned the consul. "Now the first thing to do is to enlist thesupport of General Seauterey, the commandant of the city. Without him wecan do practically nothing. But he will be glad to capture Hernandez."
The consul took his departure, announcing that he would return as soonas possible.
Dick left the room announcing that he would take a little strolloutside. Mr. Willing enjoined him to be back by the time the consulreturned.
Dick, thinking deeply, was unconscious of the passing of time and thedistance which he had walked. At last he roused himself from his reverieand looked at his watch.
"Great Scott!" he exclaimed. "I have been gone more than an hour. I hadbetter hurry back."
He gazed about him, and saw that he was in an evil-looking part of thetown. He swung about on his heel and set out in the direction from whichhe had come.
As he passed a narrow street, even dirtier-looking than the rest, an armsuddenly shot out and dealt him a blow across the head, knocking him tothe ground.
Dick was stunned by the force of the blow, but he was by no meansdeprived of his coolness nor resourcefulness. He rolled over quicklyseveral times, seeking to put as much distance as possible betweenhimself and his unseen opponent, and then scrambled quickly to his feet.
Two men bore down on him. Short wiry Mexicans they were, and one held aknife in his hand. Dick took one look at them, then turned and ran.
But the force of the blow he had just received made it impossible forhim to run far, and soon he turned, and with his back to the wall of ahouse, faced his adversaries.
Just out of striking distance the latter halted, and spoke to him inSpanish. Dick shook his hand, indicating that he did not understand.
"Speak English," he said.
The men conversed together in low tones, then one of them spoke a singleEnglish word to Dick:
"Money!"
"Oh, I see," said Dick, "you want my money, eh? Well, you won't get it.I need it myself."
He shook his head at the men, and they gesticulated angrily, one of themraising his knife. Then, with a cry, they sprang forward.
Dick was in a serious predicament and he realized it. But he determinedto do his best. As the men closed on him, Dick struck out. One of themen staggered back.
At that moment there came the sound of pattering feet down the street.The men drew back. A second later two running figures came into sight,and Dick cried out in amazement.
The figures were Shirley and Mabel, and even as Dick recognized them athird form came into view, and this Dick immediately recognized as thatof Hernandez.
"Shirley! Mabel!" called Dick.
The girls half halted in their stride, and then, with glad cries, cametoward him.
The men who had attacked Dick, seeing the approach of another man,turned and made their way to the next corner, where they stood to watchdevelopments.
Hernandez, perceiving that he had but one to contend with, and this ayoung man, advanced confidently. Shirley and Mabel had now reachedDick's side, and the three faced the Mexican.
Without a word Hernandez's hand went to his pocket, but Dick was tooquick for him.
"No you don't," he cried, and sprang forward.
His right fist shot out with stunning force, and the Mexican rolled onthe ground, his revolver, which he had succeeded in drawing, beinghurled from his hand.
Dick quickly took each girl by the arm and urged them along.
"Hurry!" he cried.
What he feared came to pass.
Hernandez got quickly to his feet, and perceiving the men who had sorecently attacked Dick, he beckoned them to him.
As the men came up, he waved his arm at the figures of the two girls andthe young man.
"Catch them!" he shouted. "Reward!"
The men needed no further urging, but dashed after the three. Dick urgedthe girls along as swiftly as they could go, casting occasional glancesover his shoulder. He hoped against hope that assistance would come fromsome quarter.
But not a sign of a native officer did he see. The few people theypassed looked at them curiously, and must have realized the aspect ofthings by the noise of the pursuers, but none offered to lend a helpinghand.
Several times Dick was on the point of turning back to face thepursuers, but he determined only to do this as a last resort to give thegirls time to get away while he held the others back.
He led the girls sharply around a corner and they ran as fast as theycould along the dirty street. But the pursuers were gaining, as Dickperceived by a quick glance over his shoulder. Then Dick made hisdecision.
As he rounded the next corner he whispered to the girls:
"Run hard!"
He released their arms and stopped, just out of sight from the pursuers.
A moment later they came into view, and Dick was upon them in aninstant, striking right and left as swiftly as he could. Just as itseemed there was a chance of his overcoming his two foes, a third figurejoined in the fray.
This was Hernandez himself, and he turned the balance in the favor ofDick's enemies.
Shirley and Mabel had gone on a few feet when Dick had turned back, forthey had not known what he was about to do. They missed him in a moment,however, and stopped to see what had become of him.
They saw the struggling knot of men, and Shirley cried:
"Oh! Dick will be hurt! What shall we do?"
"What can we do?" demanded Mabel. "Dick said to run. I guess we hadbetter run."
"And leave him there like that? I should say not."
"But what can we do?" asked Mabel, in consternation.
"I don't know. But I am not going to run away."
And Shirley resolutely made her way back toward the fighters. Mabelfollowed.
But aid came for Dick even as it had for his first two enemies. And theaid was from an unexpected source.
"Hello!" exclaimed a voice in English. "What's going on here?"
"Help!" cried Dick in English.
"An American, eh," said the voice, "and three greasers attacking himwith knives. Here goes."
Dick felt his enemies give way before him, all but one, and this one hesent to the ground with a hard blow to the face. Then he gazed about.Nearby stood Shirley and Mabel, and upon the ground were the other twoMexicans. Dick looked at the man who had come to his rescue, and gave acry of astonishment.
"Captain Anderson!"
The commander of the _Yucatan_ was no less surprised. He surveyed Dickand the two girls critically.
"How in the name of all that's wonderful did you all get together againand how did you beat me here?" demanded the captain.
Dick explained his arrival in a few words, and then Shirley took up thestory.
"B
ut we had no idea of the _Yucatan_ was here," said Dick.
"I landed not fifteen minutes ago," replied the captain. "Of course atrain runs faster than a boat, which is the reason you are here ahead ofme. Now I guess you had better return aboard with me."
"We'll go to the consulate first," declared Dick. "The others areprobably still there."
"Good idea," replied the captain. "I was on my way there now."
He led the way, and the others followed.
But when they reached there they learned, much to the disappointment ofboth girls, that neither the consul nor any of the others were about.
"Consul Harrington and his visitors accompanied General Seauterey and asquad of soldiers," a clerk explained. "They left not fifteen minutesago."
"Too bad," declared Captain Anderson. He turned to the girls. "Will youremain here or come aboard?" he asked.
"We'll go aboard, thanks," replied Shirley. "I want to get out of thiscity and this country. We can leave word with the clerk here, andMabel's father and mine will come aboard as soon as they return."
"Right you are," agreed Captain Anderson. He addressed the clerk. "WhenMr. Willing and Colonel Ashton return with the consul," he said, "youtell them to come aboard the _Yucatan_ immediately. I have importantnews for them."
"Very well, sir," said the clerk.
"Why didn't you tell him to tell Dad we had been rescued?" asked Mabel.
"Why," replied the captain with a smile, "I was saving that for a littlesurprise."