"h.e.l.lo! what does this mean, boys?" suddenly exclaimed Andy.
One of the four dejected-looking prisoners, at sound of the boys"
voices, had raised his head. They had a glimpse of a dirty face and streaming hair. Even as they stared, this fellow broke out of the line, sprang forward toward the four Boy Scouts, and throwing himself down on his knees in front of them, clasped his hands convulsively together, as he almost shrieked:
"Save me, Rob Blake. Oh! don"t let them shoot me! I"ll promise anything if only you get me off with your friend, General Villa! Oh! Rob, help me, please!"
CHAPTER XXV.
AGAIN UNDER THE FOLDS OF "OLD GLORY."
The four boys were so utterly astonished when this Mexican soldier made his appeal in excellent English, calling Rob directly by name, that they could hardly catch their breath for the moment.
"Oh! don"t you know me--Merritt, Andy, Tubby,--your old schoolmate, Jared Applegate? For the sake of the good old days save me from being shot by these human wolves! I"ve got an old father and mother up home in Hampton, you know! Think what a shock it would be to them to hear what had happened to their boy. Save me, Rob! You can do it, because I heard General Villa promise you anything you asked!"
The four scouts recognized him now, though never more taken aback in all their lives. When last they saw this young fellow, who had indeed lived near Hampton,--his father being a crabbed old farmer who hated the very name of Boy Scouts,--Jared had been hand-in-glove with some foreign plotters who meant to blow up the locks of the gigantic Panama Ca.n.a.l.
As narrated in the preceding volume, Rob and his intimate chums were largely instrumental in preventing this terrible crime from being carried out; and at that time young Jared had managed to escape, while the chief conspirators were captured.
Indeed, the scouts had forgotten that there had been such a fellow as Jared Applegate in the wide world; and now to have him turn up unexpectedly like this, with a frantic appeal for them to save his life on account of those old schoolboy days, was certainly staggering.
They turned and looked at each other, while the guard who had followed after the prisoner-of-war waited to see what would happen, seeming to realize that this fellow must know the American lads who were so high in the good graces of the commander.
"It is Jared, as sure as shooting!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Tubby, staring as though he had just seen a ghost.
"They say bad pennies always turn up again," observed Andy; "and I reckon Jared is about as tough a case as you could find."
Rob and Merritt did not say anything along those lines. They could not add to the burden under which it was plain the wretched youth was already staggering. And so Jared continued to wring his hands, kneeling there and waiting to hear the scout master, whom he knew so well, say whether he would lift his hand to help him, or simply turn aside and let things take their course.
"But how does it come that we find you here, and wearing the uniform of a Mexican Regular?" Rob asked him.
"The last we saw of you, remember, was on the Isthmus, where you played a low-down trick on us," Tubby interjected.
"Yes; and after I managed to get away from there I drifted to Mexico, because I was ashamed to go back home. I expected that you"d tell everybody what a fool I"d been, working with men who hated the United States and wanted to injure the Ca.n.a.l. Then I took the oath of allegiance to Mexico and entered the army because there wasn"t anything else I could do. And now the rebels have captured me, they mean to stand me up against a wall and murder me! Oh! Rob, please get me off! You can do it if you will. It"s up to you whether I"m killed or not! You wouldn"t care to think of that always, would you?"
"Well, I don"t like you any too much, Jared, because of what you"ve done in the past," Rob said slowly; "and when you try to put the whole thing on my shoulders you"re on the wrong tack, because I haven"t had a single thing to do with it. But I can"t forget that you _are_ a Hampton boy, bad as you"ve always been. If I should manage to get General Villa to let you go, what would you do?"
"Get over the line the first thing," replied Jared promptly, showing that this must have been on his mind for some time. "I meant to desert any way, just as soon as I saw a chance to get clear. I"ve been treated like a dog down here, and hate the whole country as well as the dagoes in it. But, Rob, promise to help me, won"t you? Here comes General Villa now to see what it all means. Tell him I"m not going to lift a hand against him again. I was forced into it this time."
"Well, I"ll see what I can do, Jared," Rob told the shivering wretch; "but don"t feel too sure that it"ll come out as you wish. General Villa is very bitter toward all of the men serving under Huerta; and I chance to know he hates to find a foreigner in the ranks of the Government troops."
As the fighting general of the revolutionists came up, Rob started in to tell him about Jared, and how he was from the same town away up on Long Island that the other boys called home. He did not whisper a word about what Jared had done in connection with that Ca.n.a.l conspiracy; for he seemed to know that such a thing would be apt to set Villa"s mind against the young chap.
"Since you say that he is from your town," the general observed, after Rob had made his plea, "and was once a friend of yours, why, I will agree to let him go free on condition that he crosses the river to Texas without delay. Will you promise to see that this compact is carried out, young senor?"
There was nothing for Rob to do but agree, though he knew that this would mean he must stand the company of Jared until such time as they reached Juarez, and could cross to the other side of the Rio Grande. But he could not find it in his generous heart to abandon the wretched fellow, little as the other deserved mercy at his hands.
General Villa, before hurrying away, said a few words to the guard, who went back to the other prisoners and left Jared with the scouts. He began to pour out his thanks, having been in a state of abject terror; but Rob quickly put a stop to this.
"Words are cheap, Jared, you understand," he said, "and actions speak a great deal louder all the time. If you"re really thankful for what we"ve done for you, show it by turning over a new leaf, and doing something that you"d be proud to have the home folks in old Hampton hear about."
"I mean to, Rob," whined the other boy; "this here has been a terrible lesson to me; and after this you don"t catch me in any more games like I"ve been meddlin" with lately. Some day, mebbe, you"ll hear about Jared Applegate doing a big thing. I"m a changed boy, I tell you, Rob, sure I am!"
But Rob felt that he "would have to be shown" before he could believe in any reformation on the part of Jared Applegate. And more than that, he duly warned his three chums that under no circ.u.mstances should they let fall a hint regarding the true nature of their mission to Mexico while Jared was in their company. He hoped the other had not guessed anything along those lines as yet; for Rob believed that if Jared knew they were carrying back a large sum of money, such as General Villa meant to hand over to Tubby in payment for his friend"s cattle, it would be a great temptation to the weak boy, who might even plot to steal it while they slept.
The engine belonging to the stalled train was finally fixed, so that it could again draw the long line of cars. Being desirous of taking his men to Juarez as quickly as possible, on account of some _coup_ he expected to make, Villa had most of them crowd aboard and on top of the train that was ready to start, some being left to engage in the work of rebuilding the burned bridge as soon as possible.
Before he left the scouts, General Villa had another interview with them.
"Fortunately," he told the boys, "I know just about the number of head of cattle there happens to be on Dr. Matthews" ranch right now, because my men have been on guard there to protect it against all danger. And I have figured it out that if I send him seventy-five thousand American dollars it will cover the bill. This I now take pleasure in handing over to you, as the nephew of my old friend, the man who saved Pancho Villa"s life. Sign this receipt, all of you, as the custodians of the fund, so that I may have something to show. I shall sometimes think of you, boys, for you are after my own heart. I shall immediately send men to fetch my cattle to camp, so that my army may be fed. This money comes from honest sources, tell Dr. Matthews. It is the advance payment made by an American company for some of the property held by traitors to the cause in Chihuahua, and which they can never own again while Villa or his cause lives. That is all, for I must be gone."
He shook hands with every one of the four boys, but drew the line at Jared, for whom he evidently felt only contempt and distrust. Whether it was an honor, or not, to press the hand of this rebel leader must always be an open question in the minds of the scouts, because they had heard many terrible stories about his cruelty, as well as others concerning his rare ability as a leader of men. But at least, it would be something to remember and to tell the other lads in Hampton when they reached home again.
Jared had not been close enough to overhear what was said at the time the package of bills was turned over, and Tubby had been careful to secrete it at once; so they hoped that the wretched traitor to his country knew nothing about it.
When Tubby found a chance, he turned the packet over to Rob for safe keeping.
"I managed to count it, Rob, on the sly," he whispered; "and just as Villa said, there"s a full seventy-five thousand dollars there in big bills. Just to think of us carrying a whole fortune around like that!
But after you"ve sewed it in the lining of your coat, where that letter was, I guess there"ll be no danger."
"More from Jared than anybody else," warned Rob; "so make sure not to drop a hint."
"Mum"s the word," agreed Tubby with a set look on his face. "And say, I hope we take things easy going all the way to Juarez again. No need for hurrying, is there?"
"No, not anything that would worry us," Rob replied; "though I won"t rest easy until we"ve handed this money over to a bank, and got a draft for it. And I"ll see if I can fix you a more comfortable seat by using your blanket in four thicknesses. I managed to get a horse for Jared, so we"ll be able to ride in company. We"ll feed him and take him along to Juarez; but under no circ.u.mstances must he be allowed to join in our talk."
Lopez again took charge of the expedition, and they headed north, satisfied with the result of their adventurous ride into Mexico. They carried a paper from Villa that would serve to pa.s.s them, should they come upon any detachment of roving rebels. If raiding Federals appeared, they would have to gallop for it, or fight them off.
But fortune was kind, and they finally arrived safely in the vicinity of Juarez. Their paper allowed them to cross the international bridge, which has been the scene of so many stirring events of late years; and every Boy Scout was thrilled to the heart when he once more realized that he stood on American soil and under the protecting folds of "Old Glory." They gathered around Rob and gave three cheers and a tiger for General Villa, toward whom, naturally enough, all of the boys were feeling warmly, because he had shown himself their good friend.
One of the first things Tubby did, after the money had been turned over to a bank, was to send a long message over the wire, directed to Uncle Mark, telling of their great good fortune, and asking that the home folks of the other boys be informed of the fact that they were all well, and headed for home.
Jared Applegate was permitted to go, with a sum of money in his pocket and many protestations of grat.i.tude on his lips, which the scouts "took with a grain of allowance," as the old saying is. Then they shook hands with faithful Lopez, whom they would always remember, and were ready to start on the long journey toward home.
CHAPTER XXVI.
ON TO WASHINGTON!
"Now, fellers," said Tubby, drawing a long sigh as, business over, Rob pulled out a railroad guide, "the time has come to spring a surprise on you. I"ve nearly burst trying to keep it a secret."
Tubby sighed again and took another "Mexican kiss" from the candy box in his hand.