It was a peculiar coincidence that the moon"s rays made their way at that moment through clouds, and a bright beam fell on the face of Pedro de Armijo. Phil saw the Mexican"s face fall a little, despite all his efforts at self-control. De Armijo himself felt this change in his countenance, and, knowing what it indicated to the man who asked the question, he replied without evasion:
"I regret to say that the fortunes of war were against the deserving.
Our brave general, Ampudia, and our gallant troops were compelled to retire before your general, Taylor. At least, so say my hasty advices; perhaps they are wrong."
But Phil could see that de Armijo had no such hope. The news was correct, and the boy"s heart thrilled with joy because the first victories had fallen to his own people.
"I would not have told you this," continued de Armijo, "had you not caught me in an attempt to take your papers. Had it been peace, "steal"
would have been the word, but since it is war "steal" turns to enterprise and zeal. Had I not believed you ignorant that the war has begun, and that I might make more profit out of you in our hands than as a fugitive, or at least as one who might have escaped, I should have opened fire upon you as you approached. Perhaps I made a mistake."
"All of us do at times," said Middleton thoughtfully.
"Well spoken," said de Armijo. He lighted a cigarette and took a few easy puffs.
"Well, Captain Middleton," he said at length, "the problem is now yours, not ours. You have taken it out of our hands. What are you going to do with us?"
"It seems to me," said Captain Middleton, "that this problem, like most others, admits of only one solution. You are our prisoners, but we cannot hold you. Our own situation prevents it. We could kill you, but G.o.d forbid a single thought of such a crime. We will take your arms and let you go. You will not suffer without your arms, as your Comanche friends are near, a fact which you know very well."
"We accept your terms," said de Armijo, "since we must, and with your permission we will mount our horses and ride away. But it is to be understood, Captain Middleton, and you, young Mr. Bedford, and the rest of you, that we part as enemies and not as friends."
"As you will," said Middleton. "I recognize the fact that you have no cause to love us, and perhaps the sooner we both depart from this spot the better it will be for all."
"But we may meet again on the battlefield; is it not so?" said de Armijo.
"That, I cannot tell," replied Middleton, "but it is not unlikely."
Breakstone and Arenberg still stood by the captured arms, but, without casting a glance at either the arms or their guardians, de Armijo signaled to his men, and they mounted and rode away.
"Adios!" he called back in Spanish, although he did not turn his face.
"Adios!" said Middleton in the same tone.
They did not move or speak until they heard the hoof-beats die away, and then it was Bill Breakstone who first broke the silence.
"That certainly came out well," he said. "The curtain came down on a finer finish than the first act indicated. I confess that I didn"t know your plan, Captain--I don"t call you Cap any more--but I trusted you, and I confess, also, that I fell asleep. It was you and Sir Philip of the Active Mind and the Watchful Eye who did most of the work.
"It was in Tex.
We met the Mex.
They spoke so high, But now they cry.
Or, at least, they ought to cry when they think how we turned the tables on them. Now, Captain, I suppose we must be up and doing, for those fellows, as you said, will go straight to the Comanches, and if we linger here our scalps will be of less value to ourselves than to anybody else."
"It is quite true," said Captain Middleton. "We must reach the train as soon as possible, because the danger to it has increased with our own.
But even more important than that is the great change that must be made.
Woodfall cannot go on now, since the whole Southwest will be swept by bands of Mexican and Indian hors.e.m.e.n."
"What must the train do?" asked Phil in anxiety, because this concerned him very nearly.
"It must turn south and join the American army on the Rio Grande. Most of the things that it carries will be of value to our troops, and Woodfall will clear as much profit there as at Santa Fe, which is now a city in arms against us. In this case the path of comparative safety and honor is also the path of profit. What more could Woodfall ask?"
"He"s a brave man, and brave men are with him," said Bill Breakstone.
"You won"t have to ask him twice."
Phil"s heart had throbbed with joy at Middleton"s answer. His quest was always in his mind. He had feared that they might turn back, but now it suited him as well to join the American army as to go on toward Santa Fe. The quest was a wide one. But Arenberg suppressed a sigh.
"Let"s be starting," said Middleton. "We"ll take their arms with us.
They"re of value, and Bill, moreover, is without a rifle or musket."
Breakstone, who had been examining the weapons, uttered a cry of joy.
"Here is a fine rifle," he said, "one of the best American make. I wonder how that Mexican got it! The rest are not so good."
"Take the fine one, Bill," said Middleton, "and we will pack up the rest and ride."
They were out of the woods in a few minutes, and again rode rapidly toward the west. It was an easy task to pick up the great wagon trail again, even in the dark of the night, as the gra.s.s and soil were trodden or pressed down over a width of fully two hundred yards. The country rolled lightly. Bill Breakstone thought that a range of hills lay toward the north, but in the night they could not see.
"I hope that we"ll overtake Woodfall before day," said Middleton, "because I"ve an idea that de Armijo and the little band with him are not the only Mexicans hereabouts. He would not come so far North without a considerable force, and I suspect that it is his intention to capture our train, with the aid of the Comanches."
"We can beat them off," said Breakstone confidently.
"If our people are warned in time," said Middleton.
"Much harm iss meant," said Arenberg, speaking for the first time, "but we may keep much from being done. Our most dangerous enemies before the daylight comes are the Comanches. They have already learned from de Armijo that we are here, and it iss like as not that they are now between us and the train."
Middleton looked at his watch, holding it in the moon"s rays.
"It is two hours until day," he said, "and the trail is rapidly growing fresher. We may yet get through before the ring closes. Ah, there they are now!"
A hand"s breadth of fire suddenly leaped up in the north, and burned there like a steady torch. Far in the east, another but fainter appeared and burned, and a third leaped up in the south. But when they looked back in the west they saw none.
"Fortune rides on our cruppers so far," said Middleton. "We are on the side of the circle which yet has the open segment. Push on, my boys!"
Phil"s knees involuntarily pressed against the side of his horse, and that strange sensation, like icy water running down the spine, came again. Those three lights speaking to one another in the darkness and across great distances were full of mystery and awe. But he rode without speech, and he looked most of the time at the lights, which remained fixed, as if what they said could not be changed.
Middleton, who was in advance, suddenly reined in his horse, and the others, stopping, also, noticed that just in front of them a depression ran across the plain.
"It"s an arroyo or something like it," said Bill Breakstone, "but the wagons have crossed it anyhow."
They followed the trail to the other side and then saw that it continued almost parallel with the broad gully.
"Why shouldn"t we take to the gully?" said Phil. "It has a smooth bottom, it is wide enough for us, riding two abreast, and it will give us shelter."
"A good idea," said Middleton.
They turned back into the arroyo, and found an easy road there. The banks were several feet high, and, as the dusk still hung on the plain, they increased their speed, counting each moment worth one man"s life.
They came soon to a place where the gully was shallower than usual, and then they saw two or three faint lights in the plain before them, apparently about a half mile away. Middleton raised a warning hand, and they stopped.
"Those are the lights of the train," he said. "They undoubtedly have scouts out, and of course they have seen the signals of the Comanches and the Mexicans, just as we have, but they do not know as much as we do. I think we had better go down the arroyo as far as we can, and then, if the alarm is sounded by our enemies, gallop for it."
"It iss our choice because there iss none other," said Arenberg.