As I understand it, that rapid-fire gun is a valuable piece."
"There is no doubt of that," admitted the captain.
"If the one who comes hunting it finds it has not been molested, he will think it has not been discovered and he will take some steps to carry it away. When he does so, I can give the alarm and we can pounce down upon him."
"Your idea isn"t at all unreasonable," said the Captain, "and I"m perfectly willing to see what we can do."
Accordingly the little cavalcade rode along for more than half a mile.
It then halted in the edge of the chaparral, where Adrian dismounted and slowly made his way back through the mesquite bushes which covered the plain.
It was hot lying there in the broiling sun, but Adrian did not mind.
This was his idea, and somehow he felt sure that it would meet with success; but for a long time it did not seem so. Finally, however, as Adrian began to think the Captain might better take charge of the arms, he noted a strange figure on the opposite bank of the Rio Grande. He was a little man, and, as nearly as Adrian could make out, old.
"He doesn"t look like a gun runner," thought Adrian; "but you never can tell."
At first the little man did not appear to be looking across the river at all; but as Adrian watched, he saw that the man on the other sh.o.r.e carried a pair of field gla.s.ses.
"That means that I must lie mighty low," muttered Adrian to himself, and he hugged the ground tight, behind the mesquite bush.
The man at length leveled his gla.s.ses and peered long and earnestly-not only at the rapid-fire gun, which showed most prominently-but at all the bushes up and down the river for some distance.
"He certainly knows what he is looking after," thought Adrian, "but I don"t believe he will come over in the day time."
For the time being at any rate, Adrian was right; for after some minutes spent in observation, the man returned his gla.s.ses to their case and walked rapidly away.
Slowly Adrian withdrew from his position, backing out on hands and knees until he was hidden from the other bank. Then, rising, he hastened to where he had left his friends.
"Well," was Billie"s greeting as soon as Adrian came in sight. "I hope you discovered something to pay us for going without our dinner."
"If catching a gang of gun runners is enough, I think I did."
"What"s that?" inquired Capt. Peak. "You think you have a line on them?"
"You can judge for yourself," replied Adrian, and he related what he had seen.
"Don Pablo Ojeda!" exclaimed Capt. Peak as soon as Adrian had described the appearance of the man on the opposite sh.o.r.e. "If we can only catch him red-handed, it will be a great capture!"
"You don"t mean he"s the old chap who tried to steal our mule, do you?"
"He surely is," declared Donald. "The description fits him perfectly."
"And it"s very plain, now," continued the captain, "why they selected this spot. It is only half a mile up stream from the trail that leads from Don Pablo"s to the river-just far enough for a boat to float down of its own accord. All it would take would be one man to steer. Once the guns were put on board, the others could ride down the river, swim their horses across and thus avoid any trouble in case the boat were discovered."
"I"m glad if my information is of any use," said Adrian.
"It unquestionably is. Now then," and the captain mounted his horse, "to make arrangements to capture all who come to this side of the river."
"Hadn"t we ought to notify the Mexican authorities?" queried Donald.
"If we were sure the information wouldn"t leak out," was Capt. Peak"s reply; "but there is too much revolution in the air right now to know whom to trust.
"No," after a pause, "we"ll play this game alone," and turning his horse to the north, he started by a circuitous route for town, closely followed by the boys.
"I"m glad we"re this side the river," said Billie as they rode along. "I seem to have more faith in the Rangers than in the Rurales."
CHAPTER XVII.
A MEETING OF REVOLUTIONISTS.
Midway between the Hacienda del Rio and the _hacienda_ of Don Pablo Ojeda, near the source of the little mountain stream across which the Broncho Rider Boys chased the horse thieves in recovering old Bray, there stands an old mill. When built, or by whom, not even the oldest inhabitant of that region can remember. It is made of rock quarried out of the mountain side; and although the water wheel has long since gone to decay and the millstones have fallen into their beds, the walls of the building remain intact.
To be sure there is no roof on the building, but the heavy oak rafters, cut from trees on the mountain side, are reasonably strong, and, covered with a wealth of tropical foliage, form sufficient covering for one who is accustomed to the outdoor life of these regions.
Into this ancient structure, on the afternoon of the same day on which Capt. Peak and his young comrades discovered the rifles of the gun-runners, four men might have been seen to enter. Three of them were strangers. The fourth was the missing Don Rafael.
That they had no fear that they would be seen, was evidenced by the open manner in which the strangers dismounted from their horses and threw their bridle reins to their accompanying servants.
Of the three one had a decidedly military bearing while the others bore evidence of being well-to-do landowners.
"You surely have a veritable fortress here, Don Rafael," declared the military man after a brief glance around. "With a little work in the way of outer trenches, it might be made well nigh impregnable to any but those armed with modern siege guns."
"So I have thought, General," replied Don Rafael deferentially.
"Where have you hidden the arms?"
"This way, General," and Don Rafael led the way to the rear of the ruins and pointed out a strongly constructed door, which apparently opened into a vault. "They are well cared for."
"How many have you?" asked one of the others.
"In the neighborhood of ten thousand small arms and ten machine guns.
Another shipment was brought over the river last night and will be carted up here tonight."
"Good!" exclaimed the general. "But now to the purpose of our visit. You asked us to meet you to hear the plans of General Orosco regarding the overthrow of the Madero government. What are they?"
"Sh-sh-h! Not so loud," exclaimed Don Rafael, as he cast furtive glances out toward the servants and the horses. "Your mozos might overhear!"
"Small chance of that," said the general, "and if they did they would want to join the movement."
"Briefly," said Don Rafael, "the plan is this: To start the movement in the northern states with the revolt of the Chihuahua garrison. General Orosco stands ready at a moment"s notice to come north and a.s.sume command; but you will have to start the movement in your state. I will start it here."
"How about Villa? Will he join us?"
"I am sure he will; but if he will not, I will see that he does not interfere."
"How many men can you muster?" asked the general.