CHAPTER XXIII.
WHEN VILLA CAME.
"Seems to me they are dropping down closer and closer all the time. Howabout that, Rob?" questioned Andy presently, as a new burst of shotsrang out.
"They are closing in some, for a fact," admitted the scout master, whohad been well aware of this condition right along, though up to now hehad kept it to himself, waiting to ascertain whether any one of hiscomrades would notice it.
"Hasn't the time come yet, Rob?" pleaded Andy.
"For what?" asked the other, although he could easily guess what Andymeant by the way he handled his rifle and looked anxiously up the slopeto where those little jets of smoke accompanied each shot on the part ofthe advancing Federals.
"To let us have a hand in the mix-up," Andy continued. "You as much assaid that if things got down to hard pan we'd just _have_ to help therebels. They're our best friends, and you reckoned the others wouldtreat us mean if they made us prisoners of war,--p'raps stand us upagainst a rock and wind us up, like they're so fond of doing with lotsof prisoners down in this heathen country. Please say 'yes,' Rob. I'mnot a sharp-shooter, p'raps, but I just know I could chip off a shoulderstrap from the uniform of that officer trying to hide behind that stumpup there. Let me make him jump, won't you, Rob?"
But the other shook his head in the negative.
"Not yet, Andy, so lay your gun down again," he said, at which the othergrumbled not a little.
"You said you'd let us if we got close to the last ditch, Rob," heremarked complainingly; "and seems like we might be close on that linenow."
"You may think so," said Rob, with a reassuring smile; "but that's thetime you shoot wild, Andy. Our prospects were never so bright as theyare right now."
Even Merritt and Tubby showed that they were surprised to hear Rob speakin so positive a way, when it was plainly to be seen that the men on thehillside were becoming bolder, and apparently getting ready to rush thedefenses of the rebel force a little later, after they had covered moreground.
"Show your hand, Rob," said Merritt; "you're holding something out ofsight, or you wouldn't talk like that. I know your ways; what's doing?"
"Listen, and you'll hear the rebels cheering right now!" said Rob.
"Yes, that's so," Andy replied; "but then they're ready to yell ifanything happens. When that Federal lost his hold and fell about fivefeet, scrambling around like a squirrel that had missed its jump fromone limb to another, they whooped it up till you'd thought the fight waswon! What are they cheering for now, Rob?"
"Lopez has told the captain, as I made him promise to, when things beganto look kind of gloomy all along the line; and they're passing it on,"Rob observed.
"Yes, that's all very fine, but passing what along?" demanded Andy.
"Now that the cheering has let up for a few seconds, and the Federalshave stopped firing to puzzle out what the row means, suppose you boystrim your ears, and see if you don't get some sort of sound thatsurprises you!"
"Great Caesar! that rumbling must mean a train somewhere, Rob!"ejaculated Merritt excitedly; while Andy chimed in:
"Does it, Rob? And did you glimpse it coming when you were away upyonder on the peak of the rocks?"
"Yes," replied the scout master with a laugh, "through my glasses, awayoff toward the south. And, boys, that train is just loaded down withrebel soldiers coming up from Chihuahua to get after the raiding partiesof Federals that have been burning bridges and destroying railroad stockon the Mexican Central here!"
"And you didn't whisper a word of it to us, Rob, all this while?" criedTubby, with a reproachful look on his beaming face.
"Why, you see, I didn't want any one to have false hopes," Rob told him."How could I tell whether that train would get here in a week? The trackmight be all torn up on the other side of the burnt bridge. But I fixedit with Lopez that he was to tell the captain when he saw me wave my redbandanna handkerchief over this rock; and you saw me do that a fewminutes ago."
"When you first caught the rumble of the train, and knew it must bedrawing near on the south side of the river?" interjected Merritt.
"That's what happened," Rob replied.
"But see here," Tubby insisted, "how are they going to help us if thatsame train can't cross on the steel girders of the burned bridge? Youdon't reckon it can do that, do you, Rob?"
"Certainly not, Tubby," replied the other, "but that isn't going to keepthe men from getting over. You'll find some of them crossing like catson the remains of the bridge. Others may wade the river, which doesn'tappear to be very deep from what I saw of it."
"Yes, I noticed that you walked up that way and took observations, whilethe rest of us were watching the bridge burn," said Tubby. "And rightthen chances were you figured it all out in your mind how a feller mightwade across if he had to! There never was such a chap to lay out plansahead of time. No wonder you're always ready to act when things happenin a hurry!"
Rob simply touched the badge that was fastened to his left sleeve at theshoulder. Its position showed that he was filling the part of assistantscout master; and the fact that it was complete, told that the wearermust be a first class scout. Then he repeated the words emblazoned onthe badge:
"Be prepared!"
Merritt made a discovery about this time, which he announced in tones ofdelight.
"Looky there, boys! The enemy is in full flight, believe me! You can seethem skipping out everywhere. Guess they've glimpsed the train comingalong, and know that they'll soon be outnumbered five to one. And it'sgoing to take them some little time to reach the place where they'veleft their mounts; so good-bye to you, Mr. Huerta's crowd!"
In a short time it was considered safe to show one's head above therocks, and presently some of the rebels were running back toward theremains of the bridge, shouting at the top of their lungs with joy.
"There's the train!" cried Merritt, as he stood on the rock behind whichhe and his three chums had established the Red Cross field hospital, anddone such effective work among the wounded.
Tubby gave several loud cheers; in fact, every one was calling out now,even the fugitives in the sink, some of whom appeared in view, hurryingback to the cars, possibly to stand by their precious luggage and keepinquisitive hands from opening the packages.
The long troop-train came to a stand close to the other side of theriver. Immediately a swarm of dark-faced men dropped from the heavilyladen cars, and there was a concerted rush in the direction of thesmoking bridge.
Just as Rob had said, many of the more daring, finding that the steelwork had cooled to some degree, started to make their way across likemonkeys, just as though they had lingering hopes of being able to cometo hand-grips with the Regulars who had set fire to the railroadproperty. Others began to ford the stream, the water hardly coming upmore than to their waists, as the dry season was on at the time.
"Well, I'm glad that it's all over and none of us got so much as ascratch!" Tubby was saying, while with his comrades he watched the swarmof men crossing the river.
"Yes, but I feel bad because I never got a chance to bang away evenonce," Andy grumbled, as, with gun tucked under his arm, he leaneddejectedly against the end car, and took in all the bustling sights.
"It's just as well," Rob told him. "If you knew right now that you hadmade one of those men go limping off to suffer all sorts of pain,because you felt that you just _had_ to use your gun, when it wasn'tyour fight at all, do you think you'd feel any better because of it,Andy?"
Andy never said another word; but evidently Rob had set him toconsidering the conditions, and he saw things in a different light.
"They've got some horses aboard that car away back," Merritt announced."See, they are getting them out! Look at that man giving orders, Rob.Seems like everybody just hustles whenever he says a single word. Ireckon he must be somebody away up!"
"Mebbe General Villa himself!" suggested Tubby exultantly.
"I'm hoping it may turn out that way," Rob remarked, trying to appearcalm, although him
self more or less excited. "But whoever it is, he musthave given orders for a pursuit, because you notice that as fast as themen get on this side they join some of our friends here, and go hurryingoff. It must be that they hope to waylay the Federals before they canreach their horses and gallop away."
A short time later they began to hear regular volleys from the quarterwhence these squads of eager-eyed men had gone, which would plainlyindicate that they had been successful in intercepting the enemy, sothat something like a fight was going on. Their shots must have bowledover some of the cavalrymen's mounts, for several prisoners were broughtback to the train, wearing the dirty white uniforms of the Mexicansoldiers and looking as though they expected a short shrift, with afiring squad to follow.
Meanwhile, the boys had been intensely interested in watching the figureof the mounted man who seemed to be a born leader. He directed all thatwas done, and appeared capable even of starting the rebuilding of thebridge after some fashion, so as to allow the passage of troop trains.
"Yes," Rob was telling himself, as he kept his eyes focused on thefigure of this man, using his glasses meanwhile to aid his vision, "Ireally and truly believe that must be General Villa himself! I've heardhim described, and this man seems to fill the bill."
Each of the other scouts must needs have a look through the wonderfullenses; after which, Rob called to Lopez, who chanced to be passing.
"Is that General Villa?" the scout asked.
"None other, young senor," the guide replied.
Whereupon Tubby threw his hat several times high into the air, and said"Bully, bully, and again bully!" until he quite lost his breath, and hadto rest.
"There, he's made up his mind to cross the river and see how the landlies on this side," remarked Merritt a little later on.
So the four tried and true comrades stood there waiting, feeling morethan a little curiosity as they watched the remarkable man, whose namehad been before the public so much of late, ride down to the ford, pushhis horse into the water, let him take a drink, and finally urge himacross.
As he came up the near bank Rob, accompanied by his three chums,advanced to meet him, each boy giving the scout salute gravely and thenstanding at attention. Lopez hovered near, ready to render assistance incase there was any need of an interpreter, which could hardly be, asVilla was known to talk English fluently.
Tubby was fairly holding his breath with anxiety, for the fatefulmoment was now at hand when he would learn whether the former bandit,Villa, now chief in command of the rebel forces operating in Chihuahua,would remember the debt of gratitude he owed Doctor Mark Matthews.