For answer Guarez struck his boot lightly against Overton"s lips. It was not a hard blow, nor did it cause any pain, but the meanness of the action brought the hot blood to Lieutenant Hal"s face.
"I"ll wait my own time to make you apologize humbly for that, you contemptible, cowardly Greaser!" broke impetuously from the Army boy"s insulted lips.
An instant after the words were out Lieutenant Hal regretted the use of the word Greaser. That word, as a term of contempt for people of another country should not have been uttered by an officer of the Army.
"Bah!" retorted Guarez. "Some other time for you, my young jaguar."
As he went away Guarez signed to his companions, who followed him. There were now left as guards over the military prisoners two Mexicans. These were each armed with a forty-five Colt"s revolver, and both appeared to be wholly alert.
"If any one among you calls for help," remarked one of the guards, "my orders are to reward you with steel."
Throwing back his coat the fellow displayed the hilt of a poniard.
"What"s the use of shouting?" demanded Hal indifferently, "when my other guards are beyond reach of my voice?"
The Mexican laughed quietly, adding something in Spanish in an undertone to his companion.
"I hope you don"t blame us, sir?" asked Private Simms.
"How can I censure any of you?" asked Hal bitterly, "when I was caught myself by the same easy trick?"
"Don"t tell me, after this," muttered Private Simms, "that a Mexican is stupid and has no brains."
Conversation, though allowed in low tones by the two Mexican guards, soon died out among the soldiers, every one of whom felt secretly disgusted and ashamed of himself.
Twenty minutes, or more, pa.s.sed before Hal, lying with one ear to the ground, heard the somewhat distant sound of moving horses. Soon after the roll of wheels came to him. Then, around a corner of the road, not far away, wagons turned and made toward the sh.o.r.e of the Rio Grande.
"Moving day with you fellows, is it?" demanded Hal of the guard who spoke English.
The fellow chuckled quietly.
"You"ve outwitted us, haven"t you?" demanded the young lieutenant dryly.
"You"re moving munitions of war toward the river. You expect to ship them soon--but perhaps you won"t succeed."
"You may prevent, if you can," laughed the Mexican.
"We shall see what will happen," retorted the Army boy.
"Nothing--so far as you American soldiers are concerned," came the triumphant answer.
"You shall see," vaunted Hal, though inwardly he groaned. He had been outwitted, in his first command as an officer, and he could feel the hot shame of the whole thing.
"But I don"t see how you fellows can get anything out of Guarez"s barn, unless you have been able to noose the whole of the sergeant"s guard posted there."
Another laugh, and one of undisguised, unmistakable merriment, escaped the Mexican.
"Eh?" wondered Hal, for that laugh set him to thinking. Yet he did not pretend to himself that he could fathom what lay behind that laugh.
"It is our night to laugh," explained the guard.
"Your merriment is ill-timed, then," growled young Overton. "Wait until you have all your war stuff on Mexican soil before you laugh again!"
"My time to laugh is every time that I look at you seven brave _soldados_, tied up like so many chickens for the butcher," grinned the guard. "In the meantime, our boat must now be at the pier, and soon she will be laden. Then--ah, well, there will be rejoicing on the other side of the Rio Grande!"
"I"ll wager there"ll be rejoicing," thought Lieutenant Hal. "And, as for me, I"m an officer with a blasted reputation. I"ve failed with my first chance to do my duty!"
In sheer disgust with himself, though he was really little if any at fault, Lieutenant Hal Overton, U. S. Army, rolled further over that he might cool his hot face against the cool earth.
CHAPTER XIV
AFFAIRS TAKE A MILITARY TURN
As he did so Hal"s hands touched against the wrists of Private Simms, who lay next to him.
"Confound me, why didn"t I think of that before?" the Army boy demanded of himself, a sudden, brief hope surging up in his breast.
Then he tried it, to see how well it would work.
Though he was bound at elbows and wrists, the young lieutenant"s fingers were free. Wriggling slightly nearer, Hal fingered at the cords that bound Simm"s wrists. That soldier felt and understood. Wriggling slightly nearer, and doing it so easily and gradually as not to attract the attention of the Mexican guard, Simms waited to see what would come of his officer"s new move.
Slowly, diligently, Hal worked at the first knot. He felt a thrill of joy when his busy fingers untangled that knot. Then another one, and another one. Simms"s wrists were free! The soldier, without attracting attention so far, moved himself slightly so as to bring his bound elbows within easy reach of Lieutenant Hal"s fingers.
But there was no telling at what moment these fanatic Mexicans would discover what was going on, and balk it all.
Simms"s wrists were free. Slowly, the soldier tried to repay his officer. Then Hal"s wrists were free; then his elbows.
Two of the prisoners were now free, though they were careful not to move their arms in the least.
Yet how much had been gained? Two men there were who might leap up and fight for their lives. But they were unarmed, while the alert Mexicans had revolvers in their hands and dirks within instant reach.
Had either Hal or his man been able to roll over completely, one more comrade"s knots would then be within reach. Yet, in rolling, either lieutenant or private would surely betray to the guards the fact that the cords were loosed from his arms. Nor could there be much doubt as to what the two desperate Mexicans would do in the face of any attempt at escape.
Hal lay there deliberating, trying to plan some move that would carry with it a reasonable prospect of victory. Simms, fearing to spoil any of his officer"s plans, kept wholly silent, though alert for any signal.
"It"s only the slimmest kind of a fighting chance yet!" muttered Hal. He would have been despondent, but his soldier"s training had taught him that no situation is hopeless as long as life lasts.
Then craft, slowly, but insinuatingly, entered the young lieutenant"s head.
"Confound you Mexicans," he growled aloud, "this is a bigger night for you than I had thought."
"What mean you?" demanded the guard who spoke English.
"I thought but one wagon train of your supplies would go to the water front this night."