CHAPTER XVII.
BOB HARDING DOES "THE DECENT THING."
"Back into the cave, fellows!"
It was Jack who spoke, in a tone as low and cautious as they hadadopted since the beginning of their flight.
"Say, Jack, if they ever do locate us, we're in a regular mouse-trap,"exclaimed Ralph, gazing back into the cave, which had no outlet exceptat the front.
"Can't be helped. Needs must when a certain person drives," respondedthe rancher's son. "Listen, they're coming closer."
The trampling of their pursuer's horses could, in fact, now be heardquite distinctly in the gulch below. Suddenly all sound ceased.
"They've stopped to listen," whispered Jack. "I only hope they hearour horses up ahead."
Apparently the searchers did hear, for, after a brief pause, on theycame again. As nearly as the boys could judge, there seemed to beseveral of them. They made a formidable noise, as they came crashingalong below. Hardly daring to breathe, the boys crouched back intotheir retreat. Their nerves were strung as taut as vibrating electricwires, their hearts pounded till they shook their frames. The crucialmoment was at hand.
If the insurrectos passed the cave-mouth without glancing upward andnoticing it, the boys were out of the most imminent part of theirperil. If, on the other hand--but none of the party concealed in thecave dared to think of that.
On came the trampling, and now it was quite near. A few moments woulddecide it all. Voices could be distinguished now. Among them the boysrecognized the quiet tones of Madero himself.
"You say, Senor Harding," he said, using English, "that those boys camethis way?"
"I am almost certain of it, general," returned the voice of thetraitor. "I saw their tracks, and, as you know, called your attentionto them."
"If you find them, Harding, you shall have the reward I promised. Iwould not have them slip through my fingers now for anything in theworld. Merrill's son, you said, was one of them, Senor Ramon?"
"Yes," rejoined another of the horsemen, "and the young brat is asslippery as an eel. He and this Coyote Pete, as they call him, escapedme once before in the Grizzly Pass. I have a debt to even up with bothof them."
Ramon did not mention the hidden treasure of the mission. Perhaps hehad reason to fear that to do so would be to bring the anger of GeneralMadero upon him, for he was now apparently posing as a patriot and anactive insurrecto agent.
"We must have him," declared Madero, in a voice that fairly made Jack'sblood run cold. Its smoothness and velvety calmness veiled a mercilessferocity.
"We will get them, never fear, general," Bob Harding's voice could beheard assuring the insurrecto leader; "if they escape now, it will meanthe ruination of all our plans."
"You are right, Senor Harding," came Madero's voice; "and now, wouldyou oblige me by seeing if that is not a cave up there on the bank ofthe gulch."
Important as absolute silence was, a gasp of dismay forced itself tothe lads' lips. From the conversation they had overheard, it wasevident Bob Harding was trying hard to cultivate favor with GeneralMadero. In that case, he was not likely to conceal the fact that itwas actually a cave Madero's sharp eyes had spied, or that the cavernheld the very three youths the Mexicans were in search of.
"Let's rush out and end it all," whispered Ralph, upon whom the tensionwas telling cruelly.
"If you attempt any such thing, I'll knock you down," Walt assured him.The ranch boy had taken the right way to brace Ralph up. The Easternlad bit his trembling lip, but said no more. Do not think from thisthat Ralph Stetson was a coward in any sense of the word. There aresome natures, however, that can endure pain, or rush barehanded upon aline of guns, which yet prove unequal to the strain of awaiting athreatened calamity in silence and fortitude.
"Here, hold my horse," they heard Harding say to one of his companions,"I'll soon see if that is a cave or not."
"Bah! It is nothing but a hole in the ground," scoffed Ramon, "we arewasting time, my general."
"Not so," retorted Madero. "I mean to have those boys, if we have toturn over every stone in the valley for them."
"Ye-ew bate," drawled Rafter, who was one of the searching party, withhis two companions, "I've got a word ter say, by silo, ter ther boy whoused my name."
"I guess that goes for all of us," rumbled Divver's throaty bass.
Harding's footsteps could now be heard clambering up the bank. Frombelow his companions shouted encouragement to him.
"Ef they be in thar, yew let me take fust crack at 'em, by chowder,"admonished Rafter's voice from below.
"You'll all get a turn," came from Harding, in his lightest, mostflippant tones.
"How can men be such ruffians?" wondered Jack to himself, as he heard.He knew now why he had instinctively mistrusted Harding from the first.Yet they had saved his life that very morning. Was Harding going toreturn evil for good, by betraying them to their merciless enemies? Itlooked so.
The former West Pointer's feet were close to the cave mouth now.Crouching back in the dark, the lads awaited what the seconds wouldbring forth. Jack's active brain, in the brief time he had had forrevolving plans to avert the catastrophe that seemed impending, hadbeen unable to hit upon one hitherto. Suddenly, however, he gave asharp exclamation, and muttered to himself:
"I'll do it. It can do no harm, anyway."
"Well, is it a cave?"
The question came up from below, in Ramon's voice. The ruffian'saccents fairly trembled with eagerness.
"Don't know yet--this confounded brush. What!"
Harding, who had crawled in among the chapparal, started back, asJack's voice addressed him, coming in low, tense accents from theinterior of the cave:
"Remember, Harding, we saved your life this morning--are you going tobetray us now?"
"Is that you, Merrill? You see I know your name. That was a shabbytrick you worked on us."
"Shabby trick! Our lives were at stake," retorted Jack.
"Hurry up thar, young feller," came from below in Rafter's voice; "byhemlock, I thought I hearn horses up ther canyon apiece."
"All right; I'll be there--just investigating," flung back Harding."What do you want me to do, Merrill?"
"What your own conscience suggests," was the reply.
"But, if they ever found out, it would cost me my life," almostwhimpered Harding, all his craven nature showing now.
"But they never will. Don't let them know we are here, and ride on.We will escape, if possible, and if we are caught, your secret is safewith us."
"You--you'll promise it?"
"On my honor."
"I'll--I'll do it, then, Merrill; but for Heaven's sake, don't betrayme."
"You need not fear that," rejoined Jack, with a touch of scorn in hisvoice. "I have given my word."
"Say, young feller, hev yer found a gold mine up thar?" shouted Rafter.
"What is detaining you, Senor Harding," came Madero's voice.
"Nothing, sir," rejoined Harding, diving out of the bushes once more,and standing erect on the hillside; "that cave was quite deep, and ittook me some time to make sure it was empty."
"Empty! By chowder, them _wuz_ horses, I hearn up ther canyon, then,"ejaculated the lanky Rafter.
"You found no traces of those lads there, senor?"
It was Ramon who spoke now, all his sinister character showing in hisface.
"Not a trace of them," rejoined Harding, scrambling down the hill,grasping at bushes, as he half slid on his way, to steady himself.
"Well, gentlemen, they cannot be far off. We will have them ere long,"General Madero assured his followers, as Bob Harding mounted once more,and they rode off, pressing forward hotly in the direction of thetramplings Rafter had heard, and which came, as my readers haveguessed, from the horses the boys had turned loose.
"Say," whispered Walt, as still a-tremble with excitement the ladslistened to the departing trampling of the insurrectos' horses, "thatwas a decent thing for Harding to do."
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"The first decent thing, I imagine, that he ever did in his life,"rejoined Jack.