CHAPTER XXII.
BESIEGED BY REVOLUTIONISTS.
At the cry of spies all was confusion, and the revolutionists, with loudimprecations, sprang forward to seize the accused.
But quick as were the Mexicans, the Broncho Rider Boys were quicker!Evading the outstretched hands which would hold them, the boys dashedfor the door, striking right and left at all who came within reach.
"Look out for the knives and use your fists," cried Donald, as heplanted a well directed blow on the point of Don Carlos' chin, whichlaid that enthusiastic revolutionist low.
Billie and Adrian followed suit, and the two nearest them went downunder their attack.
Another bound and they had reached the door.
"Shoot them," cried Don Rafael. "They are friends of Gen. Sanchez!"
He drew his revolver and would have fired, had not the man nearest himknocked his revolver from his hand.
"You'll hit our own men," he said. "Who are you anyway?"
"I'll show you who I am," replied Don Rafael, beside himself with rage."Take that!" and he aimed a blow at the man, which not only knocked theman down, but caused Don Rafael to nurse his fist with pain.
And now the boys are in the street and the whole band is after them,shouting and firing their revolvers indiscriminately.
Ordinarily such an affair would have created great excitement, but withfiring in progress all about the city, it only attracted a few old menand boys, who joined in the pursuit.
"Get off the plaza," cried Adrian. "Get into the dark!"
"Can't we get our horses?" gasped Billie.
"No!" replied Donald as they ran. "Never mind the horses! Look for someplace where we can hide."
They darted down the first street which seemed to offer a refuge, withthe whole band in hot pursuit.
"They're gaining on us," said Billie. "Let's turn another corner!"
This they did and still another, but were unable to shake off theirpursuers, who seemed to increase in numbers.
"In here!" at last cried Donald, as he noticed the door of a housestanding partly open. "In here and shut the door!"
Suiting the action to the word, he darted in. The others followed,slamming the door behind them.
It was not a moment too soon, for the next instant the crowd came aroundthe corner and passed down the street, thinking the boys still ahead.
It was pitch dark in the room into which they had stumbled, but Donaldproduced his electric light and they took a hasty survey of theirsurroundings.
"Here's a candle," he said. "We'd better light it and save ourelectricity."
This they did, and as the dim light gave them a better view of theentire place they were all struck with its familiar appearance.
"It seems to me as though I had been in here before some time," saidBillie.
"Me too," declared Adrian, and he looked about more carefully.
"I've got it!" exclaimed Billie. "It's Villa's house!"
"By George, you're right," said Adrian. "I wonder where he is?"
"It don't look as though anyone had been here since we were," saidBillie.
"Maybe there hasn't," replied Donald. "This surely is a queer mess wehave fallen into."
The noise of a great commotion in the street and the sound of poundingon doors came to them through the grated window.
"The mob is returning!" said Adrian.
"What do you suppose the pounding is?" queried Billie.
"I should say they were breaking into the houses along the street," saidDonald.
"That is just what they are doing," asserted Adrian. "Looking for us, nodoubt."
"We'd better barricade the door," exclaimed Donald, and he grabbed thebed and pushed it against the door, while Billie pushed up the table.
"Not much to barricade with," remarked Adrian and he piled up thechairs.
The work had hardly been completed when there was a knocking on thedoor.
The boys made no response.
"Open!" cried a voice, "in the name of the law, open the door!"
Still the boys made no reply; but they made ready to use their weaponsif necessity demanded.
Then came blows upon the door, evidently from an ax, and in a moment thelock was shattered.
"It's time to give them warning," said Donald. "Fire through the firstopening they make."
The very next blow made the opening desired and three shots rang out.They were followed by screams from the street and the hammering ceased.
"They've found out that there is some one here, anyway," said Billie. "Iwonder what they'll do next?"
A volley from without was his answer, but the shots were all high and nodamage was done. The boys did not wait for a second volley, but jumpedaround to each side of the door, out of range.
Evidently believing that the shots had taken effect, the besiegersrenewed their attack; but at the first blow the boys reached around anddelivered their fire.
There was no answering shout to tell that the shots had taken effect,but the hammering ceased and a second later there was another volley.
"They are simply wasting their ammunition," said Donald. "As long as westay away from in front of the door they cannot possibly hit us."
"They might batter the house down though," said Adrian. "I wonder ifthere isn't some way of escaping by the rear."
"Suppose you go and look," said Donald.
"I'll go," exclaimed Billie. "My experience in the smugglers' cave hasmade me expert." He dropped down on the floor and made his way on allfours to the back of the room.
There seemed to be but one entrance to the room and that was from thestreet. The entrance into the patio, which might have been expected,being lacking.
"I wonder why that is," thought Billie. "All the Mexican houses I haveever seen opened into a patio."
The patio is the little court around which Mexican houses are almostinvariably built.
"Give me your electric light," he at length said to Donald. "I am surethere must be an opening somewhere."
Donald did as requested and Billie on all fours went carefully round theroom, looking for a possible door.
"Here's the place," he finally exclaimed, "but the door has been walledup." Then a moment later: "Hello, what's this? A trap door."
Quickly he brushed away the sand with which the floor had been covered,as is the Mexican custom, and the outlines of a door were plainlyvisible; but there seemed no way of raising it. Several times he passedhis hand over the door, if perchance he could find a knob or a secretbolt, but in vain!
"I'll have to pry it open with my hunting knife," he finally exclaimedand began digging away with all his might.
"Are you sure it's a door?" asked Donald, crawling over to where Billiewas at work.
"Sure! Can't you see?"
"It surely is," said Donald. "Here, let me hold the light, while you geta good purchase with the knife."
Billie handed over the electric light and gave the knife a vicious diginto the crack between the door and the surrounding floor. At the sametime the besiegers struck the street door a terrific blow with the endof a steel rail which had been brought up from the railroad camp.
Just exactly what happened, Billie was at first unable to realize. Allhe knew was that the trap door, upon which he was leaning with one hand,had given way beneath him, and he was falling head first down a flightof stairs.
Picking himself up as soon as he struck bottom, which was not more thansix feet, he started to ascend the stairs, but at the second step hishead came into contact with the floor.
The trap door had flown back into its place.