The Broncho Rider Boys with Funston at Vera Cruz
Frank Fowler
Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Suzan Flanagan and theOnline Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
"THIS IS NO PLACE FOR ME," COMMENTED BILLIE AS HEKEPT HIMSELF WELL HIDDEN BEHIND A GIANT CACTUS.
_The Broncho Rider Boys with Funston at Vera Cruz. Page 33._]
The Broncho Rider Boys
With Funston at Vera Cruz
OR
Upholding the Honor of the Stars and Stripes
By FRANK FOWLER
AUTHOR OF
"The Broncho Rider Boys with the Texas Rangers," "The Broncho Rider Boys at Keystone Ranch," "The Broncho Rider Boys Down in Arizona," "The Broncho Rider Boys Along the Border," "The Broncho Rider Boys on the Wyoming Trail."
A. L. BURT COMPANY NEW YORK.
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Copyright, 1916 BY A. L. BURT COMPANY
THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS WITH FUNSTON AT VERA CRUZ
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THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS WITH FUNSTON AT VERA CRUZ.
CHAPTER I.
A DARING ADVENTURE.
"Let me look, Billie," and Donald reached out his hand for thefield glass through which Broncho Billie was gazing down from thesummit of Real del Monte upon the plain of Quesco, through whichthe Pachuca river winds its way. "Maybe I can make out who theyare."
Billie handed over the glass without a word and stood expectant,while Donald scrutinized closely a body of horsemen--twenty ormore in number--which had halted beside the railroad thatconnects the little city of Pachuca with the City of Mexico.
"They are not soldiers, that's certain," was Donald's commentafter he had inspected the riders carefully for a couple ofminutes.
"That's what I thought," from Billie. "They look like a bunch of_vaqueros_ to me; but what would a crowd of fifty cowpunchers bedoing in a country where the only cattle are goats?"
"That's right!" laughed Donald, greatly amused at Billie's oddexpression, "but still that is what they appear to be. Perhapsthey are expecting a drove of cattle up on the train."
"More likely they are expecting a load of bullion going down tothe City of Mexico," remarked the third of the party. "What doyou think, Pedro?" turning to the fourth of the boys who composedthe quartette.
"I am afraid you are right, Adrian," replied Pedro, with anaccent which denoted that of the four he was the only one who wasnot of an English-speaking race.
"You don't think they would hold up a train in broad daylight,and that not more than five miles from town, do you?" queriedBillie.
"If they are what I suspect," declared Pedro, "I think they wouldhold it up at the station, if there were only a few more ofthem."
"And what do you think they are?"
"I think they are Zapatistas."
"What are they?" asked Donald.
"Followers of the bandit leader, Emilio Zapata."
"Which side does he belong to?" asked Adrian. "Huerta orCarranza?"
"Neither. He is simply a bandit, and his followers prey upon anywhom they find unprotected."
"And do you really think they are going to hold up and rob thetrain from Pachuca?"
"_Sin duda!_" meaning without doubt.
"Then we must prevent them," declared Donald emphatically.
"What business is it of ours?" asked Billie. "If one bunch ofMexicans wants to rob another bunch, especially if the secondbunch are Huertistas, I don't know that it is for us tointerfere. I'm not looking for trouble."
"You're not afraid, are you? If----"
"Say, Don," interrupted Billie, "what's the use of always askingsuch foolish questions? If I remember rightly, the last time youasked me that question was up on the Rio Grande a year ago, aboutthe time that I was swimming rivers and breaking into prisonswith the Texas Rangers to get you and Ad out of trouble. Nowwhy----"
Donald held up both hands.
"That's enough, Billie," he laughed. "I'll take it all back. Ofcourse you're not afraid. But I insist we must prevent thishold-up."
"And again I ask, why?"
"Because there may be women and children on the train and----"
"That's enough," exclaimed Billie. "You needn't go on with therest. But what's the plan? We're a good ten miles from thosechaps--unless we had an airship."
"And then how far do you think it is?" queried Adrian.
"Well," replied Billie slowly, as he squinted up one eye, "Ishould say they are about four miles away as the crow flies. Butwe are not crows. By the Real road, it is at least ten miles."
"There must be a short cut somewhere," insisted Donald.
"There is," explained Pedro. "Just around the next turn in theroad there is a goat path that leads down to the river. If youare not afraid of getting wet----"
"There you go," laughed Billie. "Afraid of getting wet! Justlet's settle it once for all that we are not afraid of anythingthat it is right for us to do."
Pedro laughed good-naturedly.
"Well, then, since we are not afraid of getting wet, we canfollow the river for about two miles by fording it several times,and emerge on the plain a mile this side of the clump of treeswhich hides those fellows from the highway."
"And then what?" from Billie.
"That is as far as I've gone."
"Then you'll have to do better. Just as soon as we emerge frombehind those trees, we'll be a fair target. Four against twentyis 'most too much on an open plain."
For several minutes no one spoke. It was Adrian who broke thesilence.
"I think I see a way, not only to save the train, but possibly tocapture the bandits."
The boys looked up in surprise.
"Do you notice how the railroad curves in toward the hills justafter it crosses the river bridge?" he continued, pointing outthe place he meant.
"Sure, we see it," from Billie.
"Well, when we leave the river, instead of riding toward thatbunch of trees, we'll ride the other way. That will bring us tothe railroad track near the curve. Then we'll ride up the track.If we do not reach the station before the train leaves, we canflag it. There is sure to be at least half a dozen guards aboard.We will make ten. Most of the men aboard will have revolvers. Theresult will be that instead of the bandits taking the train bysurprise, we will take them by surprise, and----"
"And the army that takes the other by surprise wins," finishedBillie, taking off his sombrero and bowing to Adrian in mockgravity. Then to Pedro, "Let the scout lead the way and the armywill fall in behind, with the general at the head."
A laugh followed Billie's words, and putting spurs to theirhorses, the four lads dashed down the mountain road upon theirself-appointed mission, which was by no means the first daringadventure in which they had engaged; for the stories of thedoings of the three American lads in the quartette have furnishedinteresting reading for thousands of American boys.
It is because of their numerous adventures and their skill ashorsemen that the trio has become known as the Broncho RiderBoys. Their names are Donald Mackay, Adrian Sherwood and WilliamStonewall Jackson Winkle, better known as "Broncho Billie." Thislatter name was given him some two years before when he went tovisit his cousin Donald at the latter's home on the KeystoneRanch in Wyoming. It was not given him because he was such anexpert rider, but because he could fall from his broncho ponyeasier than any boy in that section. Rotund in appearance, he wasas jolly as he was fat, and his chief failing was his appetite.No matter what the hour, no one ever me
ntioned eats that Billiewas not hungry.
When he first came West he was supposed to be in poor health. Itspeedily developed that such was not the case. He was simplyhungry. Months in the open air had enabled him to eat withoutfear and he was now about the most robust specimen of boy thatany one ever saw.
Donald, the oldest of the trio, was one of those level-headedchaps who had a knack of doing the right thing at the right time.His judgment had been proven good in many a tight place and undermany thrilling conditions. As a result, he was generally lookedup to as a leader by the others, although it must be admittedthat Adrian was also a lad of sense and plenty of nerve.
Adrian was the owner of a large Wyoming ranch, and one of thebooks which has proved most interesting to American boys is knownas The Broncho Rider Boys on the Wyoming Trail, a story of howAdrian saved his property from being taken away from him by adishonest uncle.
About a year previous to the time this story opens, these threeboys had been on a trip along the Rio Grande, when they fell inwith Capt. June Peak and a company of Texas Rangers, who had beendetailed to keep watch of the actions of a band of cattlesmugglers. Sent across the river into Mexican territory on asecret mission, the Broncho Rider Boys had the good fortune torescue Pedro Sanchez, the fourth member of the quartette, fromthe hands of a band of ruffians. Pedro turned out to be the sonof Gen. Sanchez of the Mexican army, who was visiting an uncle innorthern Mexico. After a series of thrilling adventures, whichare told in full in The Broncho Rider Boys with the TexasRangers, Donald, Adrian and Billie returned to their homes,promising to visit Pedro in the City of Mexico whenever the timewas ripe.
During the time that the boys were scouting in Mexico they hadlearned to speak Spanish quite well, and this knowledge had beenso improved during their visit with Pedro that they now spoke thelanguage well, an accomplishment which proved of much value tothem later on.
About a month prior to the day upon which this story opens, thethree Americans had met by appointment at New York City and hadcome to Vera Cruz by boat and thence to the City of Mexico, wherethey found everything in a greatly disturbed condition becauseof the revolution which had been started some months previous byGen. Carranza.
It might be well right here to state briefly the history of theprevious few months in Mexico, so that all may understand how ithappened that none of the four boys had a very high opinion ofGen. Huerta, at that time dictator of Mexico.
For nearly 35 years, up to 1911, Mexico had a peaceful existenceunder a republican form of government. During the last 32 yearsof that time Porfirio Diaz was president. Just prior to 1912 arevolution was begun against what had come to be called the Diazgovernment, and Diaz was compelled to flee from Mexico. Therevolution was headed by Francisco Madero, who was then madepresident.
In February of 1913 a revolution was started against PresidentMadero by Felix Diaz, nephew of Porfirio Diaz, and the City ofMexico was attacked. At that time Gen. Huerta was in command ofMadero's forces in the City of Mexico. He proved a traitor toMadero, went over to Diaz, arrested Madero and confined him inprison. Two days later, April 22, 1913, President Madero was shotby order of Huerta, who then declared himself dictator. At thesame time he asked that the other nations of the earth recognizehim as the head of the Mexican government, a thing which thegovernment of the United States refused to do.
March 26, 1913, another revolution was started, this timeagainst Gen. Huerta by Gen. Carranza, governor of the state ofChihuahua. This revolution had been in progress more than a yearwhen this story opens.
Pedro's father, Gen. Sanchez, had been a friend of PresidentMadero. When Madero was shot, Gen. Sanchez fled to Pachuca wherehe had a large hacienda and also owned vast interests in thesilver mines at Real del Monte, some six miles up the mountains.Later, however, he was promised protection by Gen. Huerta, whowas anxious to have the friendship of such a prominent man, andreturned to the City of Mexico. It was some time after this,about March 1, 1914--when matters had quieted down in the City ofMexico--that the three American boys went to visit Pedro.
A few days previous to the one on which we find the four boysheaded for the railroad to foil the would-be train robbers, theyhad come to Pachuca, which is located some sixty miles from theCity of Mexico, on horses furnished them by Gen. Sanchez, to seethe mines and the beautiful mountains overlooking the plains ofQuesco. Every day they took long rides in various directions, inspite of the unsettled condition of the country--a conditionwhich compelled them always to go armed with their trusty Marlinsand Colts--and that is how they happened to be on the Real roadat such an opportune time.
With these explanations, it is no wonder that the boys were keenfor the adventure upon which they were now embarked.
A sharp ride of fifteen minutes brought them to the river andinto it the horses plunged. At places it was only knee deep andat other places where they were obliged to cross it was necessaryfor the horses to swim; but this was only fun for the BronchoRider Boys.
Half an hour after sighting the bandits, the boys halted on therailroad track, well secreted from their quarry by the curvebefore mentioned.
"And none too soon," declared Donald as the sharp whistle of theengine was heard perhaps half a mile away.
"How shall we flag her?" asked Pedro.
"With that red bandana handkerchief on Billie's neck," repliedDonald as he reached over and snatched the neckwear from itsplace.
Springing from his horse, he ran up the track waving the redsignal as he ran.
A sharp blast from the whistle a couple of minutes later gaveproof that the danger signal had been seen, and the grinding ofthe brakes told that the train was coming to a stop. Even beforethis was an accomplished fact the conductor swung himself fromthe front car and came running down the track to see what was thematter, while the guards covered the boys with their carbines.
"What do you mean by stopping the train?" he demanded angrily.
Donald explained in as few words as possible.
The conductor signalled the guards to him and told them whatDonald had said.
"What had we better do?" asked the conductor.
"We had better go back to Pachuca for help," replied the guards.
"And let the Zapatistas escape!" exclaimed Billie hotly. "What doyou want to do that for?"
"We have only six guards," the conductor explained, "and----"
"And that, with us, makes ten," interrupted Billie.
The conductor regarded the boy with surprise.
"Do you mean you will join us to help capture the bandits?"
"What do you think we're here for?" asked Billie.
"Yes," chimed in Adrian. "What do you suppose we stopped thetrain for?"
"But even ten are no match for twenty or more," declared theguard.
"Of course they are," said Donald, "if the twenty are taken bysurprise."
"Which they will not be if we don't act pretty quick," insistedBillie. "Come on! Let's go after them," and he climbed up ontothe car.
"That's what I say," said Pedro, following Billie's example.
Without more words the others followed and the conductor gave thesignal to go ahead.
"How about the horses?" asked Donald, turning to Pedro.
"They'll be all right; but if we capture the Zapatistas we'llhave horses enough any way."
"And if we don't," remarked Billie grimly, "there'll be someriderless horses any way."
"Let us hope that they will not be the ones we have left behind,"said Donald gravely.
