Archie now became doubly anxious to effect his escape from the rancho. The man who had given him the keys had told him that some one was always roaming about those passage-ways, and as long as he remained there he was in danger of discovery. But he had said that if his horse was in that rancho, he would have him out, and he was going to keep his word. He would not think of going home until he had found him. Once on his back, and outside of the walls of the rancho, he could laugh at the robbers. If Roderick was there, he would take him, too. He hoped to be able to secure both horses, and make good his retreat without being discovered; and if he could do that, wouldn’t he astonish his cousin when he camehome in the morning? But something prevented Archie from carrying out this plan. As it happened, Frank was the one who recovered the horses; and if it had not been for him and Roderick, Archie would never have mounted King James again.
Archie’s first care was to take possession of the weapons he found on the table; then he raised his lantern, and took another survey of the room. He saw a door opposite to the one by which he had entered; and when he had opened it, he found that it led into a long, low apartment, which was used as a stable. It contained several horses, which the robbers had selected and kept on account of their great speed and endurance, and conspicuous among them stood Roderick and King James.
“Aha!” exclaimed Archie.
“Santa Maria!” cried somebody else.
Archie looked up, and there was Beppo. His mouth and eyes were wide open, and he stood gazing at the intruder as if he could not quite make up his mind whether he was a solid flesh-and-blood boy, or only an apparition. The fight must come off now, and Archie was ready for it.
“Santa Maria!”exclaimed Beppo again, and this time in a very different tone of voice. He was frightened now, and that was not to be wondered at; for Archie stood holding a pistol in each hand, and both of them were pointed straight at the Mexican’s breast. “Don’t shoot,” said he, drawing his head down between his shoulders, and raising one arm before his eyes.
“You are in no danger as long as you keep perfectly quiet, and do just as I tell you,” replied Archie, glancing about the stable to make sure there was no one else present.
This assurance seemed to remove an immense load of apprehension from Beppo’s mind. He looked all over Archie, from head to foot, as if taking his exact measure, and finally demanded:
“What do you want, and how did you get in here?”
“Don’t talk so loud,” commanded Archie, making a significant motion with his pistols. “If you speak above a whisper again, you are a gone Greaser.”
“Well, what do you want here?” repeated Beppo, in a lower tone.
“I have no time to waste in answering questions. Crawl out of that jacket.”
The Mexican seemed to be very much astonished at this order, but, without an instant’s hesitation, he divested himself of his greasy, tattered garment, and threw it on the floor.
“Now that sombrero,” continued Archie. “That’s all right. I shall be obliged to borrow these articles for a little while, but, as I shall leave my own in their place, you will not lose much in case I fail to return them. When I get them on, I think I shall have no trouble in passing myself off for you. What are you doing in here?”
“I came after the gray and black,” replied Beppo, pointing toward Roderick and King James.
“Well, if it is all the same to you, I will take charge of them myself. I have a better right to one of them, than you or any body else about the rancho. He was stolen from me, Greaser, and when I get home, I am going to make somebody smart for it.”
“I didn’t do it,” said Beppo.
“It is fortunate for you that you didn’t,” replied Archie. “If I thought you had a hand in it, I would take you down and give you a good drubbing. I’d like to have a long talk with you about the strange things that are done here every night,” he continued, pulling off his neat jacket, and picking up the one Beppo had thrown upon the floor; “but just now I am too deeply interested in getting away from here, to bother my head about any thing else. I will put the saddles on the horses, and then I want you to show me”——
“Santa Maria!” yelled Beppo again. “Help! help!”
There was no astonishment or terror in his voice this time. His favorite expression was uttered in a tone of triumph. Things looked exceedingly dark for Archie now, for he waslying on his back in the middle of the floor, Beppo was kneeling on his breast, and the stable was echoing with his lusty calls for assistance. Archie was greatly astonished, but he was not frightened. He was as cool as a cucumber.
“That’s your game, is it?” said he. “I wouldn’t be afraid to wager King James against any mustang in the country, that it won’t succeed, for you’ve got hold of a Yankee now. I’ll open your eyes for you, in about a minute.”
Archie had come to believe, with Dick Lewis and Bob Kelly, that there was not a Mexican in the world who possessed the least particle of courage; and consequently he did not watch his prisoner as closely as he ought to have done. Although Beppo was very much terrified at the sight of the pistols, he kept his wits about him, and while his captor was talking to him in his free-and-easy way, the young Mexican’s mind was busy with plans for escape. While Archie was exchanging his jacket and sombrero for those belonging to Beppo, the latter thought he saw a chance to turn the tables on him.
Archie had a peculiar way of putting on a coat. He thrust both arms half way into the sleeves, then threw the coat over his head, straightened out his arms, and gave himself a shake or two to settle the garment into its place. It was when he had got the jacket about half way on, and both his arms were fast in the sleeves, that Beppo sprang forward like a young tiger, and catching him around the body, threw him to the ground. He accomplished this with so much ease, that he thought he was sure to win a decided victory.
“Give up that pistol,” said he, savagely. “I’ve got you now.”
“That remains to be seen,” replied Archie, with a coolness that astounded the Mexican. “There’s no knowing who is governor until after the election.”
Archie, although taken at great disadvantage, struggled desperately, and to such good purpose that he succeeded in freeing his arms from the jacket; and then the matter was quickly decided. Beppo was turned over on his back in a twinkling, and Archie, holding him down with one hand, drew the lantern toward himwith the other, and extinguished it; for he heard footsteps approaching. Beppo’s cries had reached the ears of some of the people of the rancho, and they were hurrying to his assistance. He would have continued to shout for help, but the cold muzzle of a pistol, which he felt pressed against his head, restrained him.
Archie did not know what to do now. His first impulse was to spring up and take to his heels; but, if he did, what should he do with his prisoner? He might have compelled him to accompany him in his flight, but Beppo was a clumsy fellow, and having no reasons for wishing to conceal his movements, he would, no doubt, make noise enough to guide the Rancheros in the pursuit. If Archie left him behind, he would begin shouting for help again; and if he had not already alarmed every one on the rancho, it would not take him long to do so. The only plan he could think of was to remain with his captive, and keep him quiet by threatening him with his pistol, trusting to the darkness to prevent his discovery.
“Don’t dare open your head,” said Archie, fiercely.
There was scarcely any need of this injunction. Beppo never once thought of moving a muscle, while that pistol was so near him, and he lay as silent and motionless upon the floor as if he had been turned into a block of stone.
The footsteps continued to approach, and presently the light of a lantern flashed through the darkness, revealing to Archie a grated door at the farther end of the stable, which he had not before noticed. Looking through the door, he saw two Rancheros hurrying along the passage, one of them holding his lantern above his head, and both trying to peer through the darkness to see what was going on in the stable. They had not yet seen Archie, but they certainly would discover him when they reached the door, for he was close in front of it. He must get back out of sight, and he had but a single instant in which to do it. Springing quickly to his feet, he seized the astonished Beppo by the collar, with both hands, and before he could make up his mind what was going to happen, he was lying on his back in Roderick’s stall, with Archie on top of him; andthe mustang was looking down at them as if wondering what they were doing there. Scarcely had this movement been accomplished, when the Rancheros arrived at the door; but, to Archie’s immense relief, they did not attempt to open it. The reason was because the door was locked, and the key was attached to the bunch in Archie’s pocket. They held the lantern close against the bars, and peered into the stable.
“He isn’t here,” Archie heard one of them whisper, at length.
“He must be,” replied the other. “I know those shouts came from the stable. Beppo, are you in there?”
The young Mexican heard the question, and would have been glad to answer, if Archie’s pistol had not been held so close to his head. The men waited and listened for a reply, but hearing none, the one who had last spoken continued:
“I can see those horses in there, and they are not saddled. He has had plenty of time to bring them out, for I gave him the keys ten minutes ago.”
“Santa Maria!” said Beppo, in an astonished whisper.
“Silence!” commanded Archie.
“But he didn’t give me any keys,” persisted the prisoner, whose surprise was so great that he forgot all about the dangerous proximity of the pistol.
“Keep still, I say!” repeated Archie; and as the order was followed by a firmer pressure of the muzzle of the weapon against his head, the young Mexican thought it best to comply.
“Where do you suppose those shouts came from?” asked one of the men at the door.
“I don’t know,” replied the other; “and, what is more, I don’t care. What could have become of that rascal Beppo; and why don’t he bring out those horses? that’s what’s troubling me. If we don’t find him very soon, our plans will all be knocked in the head.”
The men seemed to be very much concerned about the young Mexican, and that was a point in Archie’s favor; for they did not remain long at the door, but set out in search of him. Archie watched the light through the grateddoor until it disappeared, and then began to question his prisoner.
“What’s up here, any how?” he demanded. “What did those men want you to do?”
“Nothing,” replied Beppo.
“Yes they did. You can’t fool me, for I am better posted than you think I am. Where do you suppose those keys are?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, I do; and I know, too, that those men promised you a revolver for doing some work for them.”
“Who told you so?” asked Beppo, more astonished than ever.
“No matter. I have a way of finding out such things. What did those men want you to do? No fooling, now.”
Beppo felt the muzzle of the pistol again, and the secret came out all at once.
“They wanted me to bring those two horses out of the stable for them,” said he. “They are tired of staying here, and want to go away. They intend to take the Don’s money, too—the gold he keeps in his bed-room. They want the gray and black horses because they are theswiftest in the country; and if they are followed, they can’t be caught.”
“Well,” said Archie, when his prisoner paused, “go on, and tell me what else you know.”
Beppo knew a good deal, and it took him some time to tell it; but Archie, impatient as he was, listened attentively to all he had to say—not because he was curious to learn something of the every-day life of the robbers, but for the reason that he hoped his prisoner would let fall some item of information that would assist him in making his escape from the rancho. He learned that Beppo was the stableboy, and that it was a part of his duty to bring out the “gray and black” every evening, at sunset, for two of the Rancheros, who mounted them and rode off somewhere; and the next morning Beppo would find two or three, and sometimes half a dozen, strange horses in the stable. The stolen nags were driven into Texas every week, and sold there; and the reason why Roderick and King James had been kept, was because they were known to be very fleet, and the robbers wanted to use them. Onepiece of information that greatly astonished Archie was, that, although there were fifty men on the Don’s rancho, they did not number a third of the band. The others were scattered all over the southern part of the State, and were employed as herdsmen by the farmers, who little suspected that they were in league with the robbers. Beppo said there were some on Mr. Winters’s rancho, but he did not know who they were. Their business was to send the Don, who was chief of the band, any information they might gain concerning the fast horses on their own and neighboring ranchos, and Pedro and another herdsman would go out and steal them. These two men did all the stealing; and Archie judged from Beppo’s description of their exploits that they were very expert at the business. They always rode Roderick and King James, and the swift animals brought them home in safety, in spite of the most desperate attempts that had been made to capture them.
The keys to the stable and to all the rooms in the underground part of the rancho, were kept in the Don’s bed-room. One of the discontentedmembers of the band had stolen them, and, as he supposed, given them to Beppo, whom he had hired with the promise of a revolver to bring the horses out about half an hour before the usual time. When the mutineers saw the horses in the court, they were to make a sudden raid on their employer’s bed-room, secure as much gold as they could carry, and then rush out, jump into their saddles, and leave the rancho with all possible speed.
Archie was silent for some minutes after Beppo ceased speaking. He was thinking what a skillful manager the Spaniard must have been to have successfully conducted the operations of so extensive an organization, without even exciting suspicion. And what astonishing impudence the old fellow had, too! Archie remembered that upon one occasion, during a general hunt after the horse-thieves, in which the Don had taken an active part, he had invited a dozen men and boys to his rancho, and served them up an excellent dinner. What would those guests have thought if they had known that they were being entertained by thechief of the very robbers they were trying to hunt down? And to think, too, that some of the band were employed on his uncle’s rancho—that he had seen them every day, and talked and ridden with them! Archie told himself that there would be some exciting times in the settlement before all these robbers could be brought to justice, and the probabilities were that somebody would get hurt. He did not care how soon the fight began, for then he would have a chance to take satisfaction out of somebody for stealing his horse. Archie pondered upon these things, until it occurred to him that it would be a good plan for him to effect his escape before he began his war upon the robbers, and this thought once more aroused him to a sense of his situation.
“Where did these mutineers intend to go?” he asked, at length.
“To Texas,” replied Beppo.
“Well, they sha’n’t do it—that’s settled. Before I will allow them to take these horses out of the country, I will hunt up the Don and blow the whole thing.”
“O, don’t do that,” pleaded the prisoner,who seemed terror-stricken at the bare thought. “He will shoot me.”
“I wouldn’t like to have you shot, Greaser,” replied Archie, “but I tell you that my horse is not going to Texas. There is one way in which you can save yourself, and that is by leading me out of this hole by the safest and most direct route. Then the Don need know nothing about it; but just as surely as I am captured down here, I’ll repeat to him every thing you have said to me.”
“I can’t lead you out,” replied Beppo. “The doors are all locked.”
“We don’t care if they are. I’ve got the keys.”
“You! Santa Maria!”
“It’s a fact,” answered Archie; “but how I got them I need not now stop to explain. What do you say, Greaser? Will you show me the way out?”
“Yes,” gasped the young Mexican, who knew, from the peremptory manner in which the pistol was pressed against his head, that it was dangerous to hesitate longer. “Don’t shoot! I will.”
“That’s all right,” said Archie. “Now, to put it out of your power to play any tricks upon me, I shall tie your hands behind your back with your own sash—so. Then I will take mine, and pass it around your ankles, in this way.”
“I can’t walk, if you do that,” interrupted Beppo; “and if I can’t walk, how can I show you the way out?”
“Don’t you be uneasy. I sha’n’t draw the sash tight enough to interfere much with your walking; but if you try to run, it is probable that you will be tripped up very suddenly. Now, then,” he continued, after he had satisfied himself that his prisoner was secure, and that he could not possibly free himself from his bonds, “stand here until I put the saddles on those horses. Who’s that?”
At this moment heavy footsteps sounded on the floor overhead, and a light suddenly flashed down into the stable. Archie looked up, and saw a pair of feet descending a ladder, leading down from a small trap-door which opened into the apartment over the stable. Shortly afterward a villainous looking Ranchero came insight, and holding his lantern at arm’s length before him, stooped down and glanced all around the stable, as if he were looking for some one. Archie was so badly frightened that he could not move; and his alarm increased, and his heart seemed to stop beating, when the man’s eyes, after roving all about the stable, rested on his face. This was the time to test his disguise.
“Beppo,” said the Mexican, in a gruff voice, “bring out the horses.”
As he spoke he placed his lantern upon one of the steps of the ladder, and ascended out of sight through the trap-door.
“Whowas that?” whispered Archie, in a trembling voice.
“Pedro,” replied the young Mexican.
“What did he want?”
“He told me to bring up the gray and black; he is going out to steal horses, now,” said Beppo, with the same indifference he would have manifested if he had said that Pedro was about to drive up a herd of cattle.
For a moment Archie stood, almost without breathing, looking up at the trap-door through which the Ranchero had disappeared. His heart beat so fast and furiously that he was almost afraid the man might hear it, and come back to see what was the matter. At first he did not know what to do; but, after a few seconds’ reflection, the details of a scheme whichhe had matured while Beppo was telling him about the plans of the mutineers, flashed through his mind, and he began to bestir himself.
Since he entered the stable and found his horse there, he had more than once told himself that if he could only contrive some way to get the animal above ground, he could laugh at all the Rancheros in Southern California. He would jump on his back, and go through the court, and out of the gate, at a rate of speed that would make Don Carlos and his band of rascals wonder; but the difficulty was to get the horse up there without being obliged to answer questions. As far as his disguise was concerned, he was not at all uneasy. He was so nearly Beppo’s size that the jacket fitted him exactly; and his journey across the plains, and constant exposure to the hot sun, had tanned his face until it was almost as brown as an Indian’s. It was just the color of Beppo’s—not quite so dirty, of course, but that was something the Mexicans would not be likely to notice. Besides, Archie was a capital mimic, and he knew that, if he was questioned, he could imitate his prisoner’s way of talking, Spanishtwang and all. He had the keys, too, with which he could open any doors he might find in his way; but suppose he should meet some of the band, and they should ask him where he was going, and what he intended to do with the horses—what reply could he make? Now, however, he had no fears on that score. Pedro had made every thing easy for him. Mistaking him for Beppo, he had ordered him to bring up the horses; and if he met any one who took an interest in his movements, he would know how to answer them.
“I’ll soon be out of here,” said Archie, to himself; “and when I once find myself fairly in that court, won’t I astonish these Greasers? Uncle said this morning that if we could shoot Old Davy and arrest the horse-thieves, he would be glad of it. We’ve finished the grizzly, and if we can’t capture the robbers, we will at least have the satisfaction of knowing that we have broken up the band, and got our horses back. But I believe we can gobble up every one of them. When I get home I’ll tell Carlos to send out uncle’s herdsmen, and we will arouse the settlement, and raise a crowdof men, and come here and storm the rancho. I’ll have a chance then to see a fight and smell powder.”
Many a time, while talking over the particulars of the battle which had taken place years before at Mr. Winters’s rancho, Archie had expressed the hope that another band of freebooters would turn up before he left California, and make a second attack on the building. He had passed through a fight with hostile Indians; had heard the whistle of their bullets and arrows; and he thought that all that was needed to complete the list of his adventures, was the opportunity of taking part in a siege of a week or two. If every thing worked according to his calculations, it was probable that his wish would be gratified. How the robbers would fight when they found their stronghold surrounded by the settlers; and what desperate attempts they would make to cut their way out! How the rifles would crack! and how Dick Lewis and Bob Kelly would yell and exult at finding themselves once more in their natural element! Archie became highly excited over the prospect.
Archie’s first care was to provide for the safe keeping of his prisoner, which he did by binding his handkerchief over his mouth, and pushing him under Roderick’s manger, where he tied him fast; Beppo submitting to the operation without a murmur. His next work was to prepare the horses for their plundering expedition, which he had fully determined should not prove a success that night. A saddle, which hung upon a peg close at hand, was soon strapped on the mustang’s back; but when Archie had slipped the bridle over his head, a thought struck him, and he stopped and looked reflectively down at his prisoner.
“I shall have to untie this fellow again,” said he, “for I don’t know which way to go. These passage-ways run about in every direction, and I might get lost; then, if some of the band should meet me, they would know in a minute that I wasn’t Beppo. Whoa, there! Where are you going, Roderick?”
While Archie was talking to himself, the mustang backed out of his stall, and walked quietly to the grated door at the farther end of the stable, where he stopped, and seemed tobe waiting for some one to come and let him out. He had become quite familiar with his new quarters; and Archie knew then that he had only to let Roderick take his own course, and he would lead him straight to the court. He quickly put the saddle on his own horse, and he also backed out of his stall, and took his stand beside Roderick, in front of the grated door. So far every thing was working to Archie’s satisfaction; but the dangerous part was yet to come, and he trembled when he thought of it. He carefully examined his revolver, hid his bowie-knife in his boot, and put the pistols, which he had found on the table, into his trousers’ pockets. Then he pulled out his bunch of keys, picked up the lantern, and started toward the door. He regretted an instant afterward that he had not left the lantern; for as he glanced toward the door, he saw a face pressed close against the bars, and a pair of eyes glaring at him with a most ferocious expression. Archie stopped suddenly, undecided how to act. Had the man penetrated his disguise? That question was quickly answered to his satisfaction by theRanchero, who clenched his hand and shook it at him, saying, in a savage whisper:
“You haven’t heard the last of this, my young friend. I’ll settle with you as soon as you have taken those horses up.”
The man gave his fist another shake to emphasize his words, and then left the door and hurried down the passage; but, before he disappeared in the darkness, Archie obtained a good view of him, and recognized him as one of the mutineers whom he had seen at the door a few minutes before. Archie understood his words perfectly. The Ranchero was very angry at Beppo for his failure to carry out his part of the contract, and had made up his mind to punish him for it at some future time. He did try to whip somebody; but, as it happened, he got hold of the wrong man, and came out second best.
“He’s gone,” said Archie, drawing a long breath of relief, “and I think I may venture out. I wouldn’t be in Beppo’s boots for a quarter, when that man meets him. I believe I am the luckiest fellow in the world; for whenever I get into a scrape, I always find aneasy way out of it.” As he said this, he thought of the “scrape” he had had that morning with Old Davy, and told himself he had not come out of that so very easily after all. He still felt the effects of his fall in his nose and shoulder. “If any body had asked me half an hour ago what I thought of the situation,” he continued, “I should have said that the prospect was not very flattering. I expected to have a terrible fuss with these Greasers; but, just in the nick of time, a mutineer comes up, mistakes me for an accomplice, gives me a bunch of keys, and thus makes it the easiest matter in the world for me to effect my escape. It is really wonderful.”
Archie at last succeeded in finding a key to fit the lock, the door swung open, and the horses went out and started down the passage-way, Archie following close at their heels. Now that he had a light, and could distinguish objects about him, he wondered at the number and extent of the passages. They ran about in all directions, and the horses turned first into one, and then into another, and twisted about until he began to believe that they hadlost their way. But they knew where they were going, and in a few minutes they brought Archie in sight of a door which led into the court. The door was open, and there were half a dozen men standing in front of it, among whom was Don Carlos, who seemed to be highly excited about something; for he was flourishing his arms wildly around his head, and talking at the top of his voice. If Archie had known what a race Frank had had through that court a little while before, and what had happened to him since, it would have increased his own excitement and alarm, if such a thing were possible. He believed that his cousin was still seated comfortably in the room where he had left him, reading his book, and all unconscious of Archie’s absence.
“He will stay here all night in perfect security,” Archie had said, whenever he thought of Frank, “and to-morrow, when he comes home, he will hardly be willing to believe me when I tell him what I have seen, and what I have been through. The Don will treat him like a gentleman, of course; but what would he do to me if he should find that I am downin this cellar learning all his secrets? I’d be gone up, sure. I wonder if the old fellow has discovered my absence, and what he thinks of it!”
The Don, as we know, had discovered his absence, and was greatly alarmed thereat, fearing that Archie might have found his way into the underground portions of the rancho, and learned something that was not intended for him to know. Having returned from his chase after Frank (with what success we shall see presently), he was determined to ascertain what had become of Archie; and a dozen of his Rancheros were at that very moment searching for him in every nook and corner of the passage-ways.
When Archie discovered the men at the door, he knew that the tug of war was coming. His disguise had already been tested by Pedro and one of the mutineers, and their suspicions had not been aroused in the slightest degree; but how would it be when he came out into the court, which was brilliantly lighted up with lanterns? He was quite certain of one thing, and that was, if the Don recognized him, andwanted to stop him, he must do it before he reached the court; for after that it would be impossible. If he could only put his eyes on the gate, he was safe. That was what Archie thought as he extinguished his lantern, and spoke in a low tone to the horses, which stopped instantly. Mounting King James, he gathered the reins firmly in his left hand, seized the mustang’s bridle with his right, and in another moment was dashing at full speed up the declivity that led to the door. He was right in the midst of the Mexicans before they knew it. Two of them were sent headlong to the ground, and the Don only saved himself from being run down, by a jump that was remarkable for one of his years. They were all scattered right and left, and the way was clear to the gate.
“Good-by, Don Carlos!” shouted Archie, so excited and elated that he could scarcely speak; “I’ll be back in half an hour.”
No words could describe the Spaniard’s bewilderment and alarm. He recognized Archie’s voice, knew in an instant that his worst fears had been realized, and saw the necessity ofpreventing him from leaving the rancho. He stood gazing in astonishment at the swiftly moving horses and their daring rider; and before he could recover the use of his tongue, they were half way across the court.
“Ach, mine heavens!” roared the Don, jumping about over the ground like one demented; “minedear heavens! Here ish dis leetle poys! Shtop him, dere! Dis ish von grand shwindle!”
There were half a dozen Rancheros in the court, besides those who had been conversing with the Spaniard, and Archie’s sudden appearance created a great commotion among them. They ran about in every direction, some shouting for their pistols, and others calling for their lassos; but not one among them was daring enough to attempt to stop him. They might as well have tried to stop a locomotive or a steamboat. The horses bounded across the court with terrific speed, and nothing short of a rifle-ball or lasso would have checked them. Archie’s face was very pale, but it betrayed not the slightest sign of fear. It wore a determined, reckless look, and it was easyenough to see that he was not to be daunted by any obstacles or dangers he might find before him. He would have remorselessly run down all the herdsmen on the rancho, if they had placed themselves in his way.
Archie thought now that his escape was but a question of time—of seconds; but there was one obstacle in his way that he had not calculated upon, and that was the gate. When he came in sight of it, what was his dismay to find that it was closed! The heavy oak bars were in their places; and the gate was so well secured, that before he could dismount and open it, the yelling, angry Mexicans, who were closing in from all sides, would be down upon him in a body. He was cornered—caught. His desperate plan for escape, which had been so brilliantly commenced, and which at first promised to succeed even beyond his expectations, had resulted in utter failure. He wished now that he had remained hidden in some of the underground rooms until dark.
The horses stopped when they reached the gate, and Archie turned in his saddle and took a survey of the situation. The court was filledwith men now—for the most of those who had been searching the passage-ways had come up—and they were all running toward him, swinging their lassos, and brandishing their knives and pistols as if they intended to use them as soon as they could get their hands upon him. A more ferocious looking set of men he had never seen.
Had Archie been placed in this situation a few months before, it is probable that he would have been frightened out of his wits, and that he would have surrendered without making any further attempts at escape. But he had been the hero of some exciting adventures since he left Lawrence, and, to some extent, he had become familiar with danger. Besides, he was naturally brave and resolute, and believing from the actions of his enemies, and the expression he saw in their faces, that it was their intention to take a summary vengeance upon him, he resolved to fight for life and liberty as long as he had strength enough to move an arm. He had nothing to gain by surrendering himself into the hands of the Mexicans; he might gain every thing by resisting them to the last.
“Now, dis ishallright!” yelled the Don, when he saw Archie hesitating at the gate, and his men closing around him. “We have got dis leetle poys. Hi! Bedro, vat you makin’ dere? Ah! Mine heavens!”
The change in the old Spaniard’s tone was caused by an action on the part of Archie, which astonished every body in the court. Dropping Roderick’s bridle, he suddenly wheeled his horse and dashed furiously toward the Rancheros, who scattered before him like a flock of turkeys. As he passed through their ranks, several lassos were thrown at him; but Archie had learned how to avoid these weapons, and by lying flat along his horse’s neck, he escaped being pulled from his saddle. He galloped toward the nearest door, and without trying to stop his horse, threw himself to the ground, and disappeared in the hall like a flash. A few rapid steps brought him to the room to which the Don had conducted him on his arrival at the rancho. He did not stop to look for his cousin, for he knew that if Frank had been there, the confusion and noise in the court would have brought him out. He ran straightto the painting of the Indian warrior, pressed the button in the handle of the knife, and when the door opened before him, he dashed through and ran along the dark passage with reckless speed;—the smooth click of the spring-lock telling him that the picture had swung back to its place. He still had the bunch of keys, which he intended to preserve as a memento of his visit to Don Carlos’ rancho, and his object now was to reach the room adjoining the stable, and lock himself in. He concluded, from something Beppo had said, that there was but one set of keys to all these rooms; and he had the satisfaction of knowing that if that was the case, the robbers could not capture him until they had cut down every door in the rancho. He would retreat as they advanced, locking all the doors behind him; and when at last he was brought to bay, he would use his revolver.
The passage was so dark that Archie could not see his hand before him; and how he ever got down the stairs without breaking his neck he did not know. He accomplished the descent in safety, however, and there his good fortuneended. As he jumped into the passage at the foot of the stairs, he came in violent contact with some one who instantly seized him and held him fast.
“Who’s this?” demanded a gruff voice.
“Santa Maria!” cried Archie.
“You young rascal!” continued the man, in a tone of great satisfaction. “I’ve got you now, and I am going to give you the best dressing down you have had in a twelve-month.” Something whistled sharply in the darkness, and Archie felt the effects of a stinging blow from a rawhide in the hands of his invisible antagonist.
Archierecognized the voice which addressed him, and knew who his antagonist was. He was one of the mutineers—the same who had given him the keys, and who had shaken his fist at him as he was leading out the horses. Supposing Archie to be Beppo, he had loitered about in the passage awaiting his return to the stable, intending to take an ample revenge upon him. The horses not being on hand at the right time, the plans of the mutineers were completely upset; and of course they were highly enraged.
Although Archie was greatly astonished and alarmed at finding himself thus unceremoniously assaulted, he comprehended the situation in an instant, and acted accordingly. He knew that as long as the man supposed him to beBeppo, he would use nothing but his rawhide on him, and Archie thought he could stand that; but, if he made himself known, the Ranchero would drop his whip, and resort to his knife, and that was something Archie could not stand. When he uttered Beppo’s favorite expression, he exactly imitated his voice; and the man, believing that he had got hold of the right one, clung to his collar, and belabored him most unmercifully with his rawhide.
“Santa Maria!” yelled Archie, smarting under the blows, and writhing like an eel in the strong grasp that held him.
“You’ll fool me again, will you?” said the Ranchero, with grim satisfaction. “You’ll break your promise, won’t you? Why didn’t you bring up those horses? How does that feel, you rascal?”
The sensation was by no means an agreeable one. The herdsman, who was a powerful fellow, showered his blows with all his strength, and his victim struggled in vain to escape from his clutches. Then he tried to slip out of his jacket; but the Ranchero detected the move, and shifted his grasp from Archie’s collar tohis hair. The torture soon became almost unbearable, and Archie was more than once on the point of losing heart and crying out; but just at the right time his courage came again to his aid, and shutting his teeth firmly together, he braced his nerves, and took the punishment without a murmur. But he did not cease his struggles. He ducked his head, and jumped and squirmed about in a way that made it extremely difficult for his antagonist to hit him; but if he escaped one blow, the next one he received came with redoubled force; and becoming satisfied at last that it was the man’s intention to whip him to death, he grew desperate, and did something that ended the battle in an instant. Thrusting his hand into his pocket, he drew out one of the long, heavy pistols which he had found on the table, and grasping it by the barrel, he struck his enemy a blow in the face which felled him like an ox under the ax of the butcher. In falling, he pulled Archie to the floor with him, but he did not hold him there, nor did he attempt it. He raised both hands to his head, and set up a roar that awoke a thousand echoesin the passage; and Archie, finding himself at liberty, scrambled to his feet and ran for life. He did not know where or in what direction he was going, nor did he give the matter a moment’s thought. His only desire was to get as far away from his antagonist as possible, and to conceal himself in one of the rooms. He would have given something now to have had a lantern, for it was far from being a pleasant thing to stumble about in that intense darkness, through those unknown passage-ways. A light might have discovered him to his enemies, but he told himself that he would much rather run that risk, than be continually harassed by the fear of running against some of the band before he knew it, or of falling through some secret trap-door. But luck was on his side. There were no trap-doors in his way, and the robbers were all up-stairs, overturning every thing in their frantic search for him. He groped his way along with all possible speed, and finally, believing himself safe from pursuit for the present, he stopped to take breath, and to determine upon his future course.
What was to be done now? that was thequestion. He was in a bad scrape, and could see no way to get out of it. He rubbed his aching shoulders, and thought of the remark he had so often made since his adventure with Pierre and his band—that he did not care to remain longer in California, because the fun and excitement were all over. He thought differently now. He had had plenty of excitement during the day, much more than he wanted, but he had not seen a great deal of fun. Bruised and battered, smarting in a hundred places from the effects of the beating he had received; surrounded by a net-work of secret passage-ways and caverns, among which he was as effectually lost as though he had been in the heart of the Rocky Mountains; in the midst of enemies who would show him no mercy if captured; his situation was certainly a disheartening one. He could not hope for assistance from his friends, for they were ignorant of his whereabouts. He and Frank had often camped out among the mountains for a week at a time, enjoying the fine shooting to be found there; and now the trappers, if they noticed his absence at all, would probablythink he had gone off on one of his hunting expeditions, and instead of making any attempt to find him, would leave him to return home when he got ready. Frank might be captured, confined in one of those rooms, and die a lingering death there, and no one would ever know what had become of him.
“I wish I had never seen or heard of California,” said Archie, bitterly, allowing himself for a moment to become utterly disheartened. “If I had only known that I was going to get myself into this miserable scrape, I’ll bet you that I would have let the robbers take my horse, and welcome. There they are!”
Archie’s soliloquy was interrupted by the sound of voices and footsteps. The Don and his men, having thoroughly ransacked the upper part of the house, were now beginning to search the underground portion. The noise grew louder, and the conversation more distinct, as the Rancheros approached, and Archie knew it was high time he was hunting up a place of concealment. Putting his hands against the wall, he groped his way along the passage until he came to a door. This he unlocked with oneof his keys, and lifting the latch, he opened the door a little way, and listened. While he stood there, hesitating and afraid to enter, the Rancheros approached rapidly; and presently Archie saw the light of a lantern dancing along the passage. There were four men in the party, and they were coming directly toward the fugitive, who, knowing that there was but one way of escape open to him, stepped cautiously into the room and locked the door. Scarcely had this been done when the Rancheros hurried past, searching every-where for Archie, and little dreaming that he was so near, and that the door alone stood between them and him. He distinctly heard their angry words, and understood enough of their conversation to know that the events of the last half hour had greatly astonished them; and that, if he was captured, something terrible would be done to him. They passed out of hearing at last, and Archie drew a long breath of relief, and braced up his nerves to encounter any new perils that might be in his way.
There was one thing that had thus far kept him in a state of intense anxiety and suspense,and that was the fear of running into some terrible danger while he was roaming about in the darkness—something that would take him by surprise, and end his existence before he would have time to comprehend its nature. How did he know but there was a chasm yawning at his very feet; and that if he advanced a single step he would find himself plunging headlong to destruction? Or how could he tell but there were some of the band standing within reach of him, with their knives uplifted ready to strike? He took a match from his pocket, but hesitated to light it for fear that it might reveal some new terror. He knew, however, that he had nothing to gain by standing there inactive, and summoning all his courage to his aid, he drew the match along the wall; but, no sooner had the flame blazed up, so that he could distinguish objects about him, than he staggered back against the door with a cry of terror, and stood trembling in every limb. The single instant that the room was lighted up by the match, was enough to reveal to him a sight that filled him with horror—a familiar form, lying bound and helpless on the floor,and a wounded and bleeding face, which, save where it was reddened by the little streams of blood that had flowed over it, was as pale as that of the dead. But Archie, to his immense relief, soon found that his companion in trouble had plenty of life left in him. His body was battered and bruised, but his spirit was as undaunted as ever.
“Well, what are you doing here?” asked a voice, in tones of great amazement.
“Frank Nelson!” exclaimed Archie, scarcely believing that he was awake. He did not stop now to think that there might be some one else in the room—he did not care if there was. It was enough for him to know that his cousin stood in need of assistance. He pulled his bowie-knife from his boot, and kneeling down by Frank’s side quickly relieved him of his bonds. His astonishment at finding his cousin there kept him quiet; but as soon as he had freed his arms, he greeted him as though he had not met him for years.
“What do you think now?” asked Archie, as he assisted Frank to his feet. “Don Carlos’ connection with the robbers is all in my eye,isn’t it? Didn’t I tell you that they kept Roderick and King James here, and rode them every night on their plundering expeditions? Well, it’s a fact. I’ve seen the horses.”
“You have!” exclaimed Frank.
“Yes, sir; and I’ve had hold of them. I’ve been on King James’s back, too; and I tell you it felt natural to find myself flying through the air once more, like a bird on the wing. I would have got them out of here, if the gate hadn’t been shut. I am afraid you can’t stand,” added Archie, who was holding fast to his cousin’s arm. “Your face is all bloody.”
“It is nothing serious. If I get a chance, I will show you that I am still able to beat the swiftest runner on the rancho in a fair race.”
“But you are trembling like a leaf,” continued Archie, anxiously. “If you are not badly hurt, what is the matter with you? Are you frightened?”
“Yes, I am. I wish we had never come near Don Carlos’ rancho.”
“So do I. I’ve wished that more than a hundred times during the last hour. We’ve got ourselves into a pretty mess.”
“And not only ourselves, but somebody else, also. We have thus far escaped with our lives, but he didn’t. He’s dead.”
“He! Who?”
“Dick Lewis.”
“Well—by—gracious!” exclaimed Archie, as soon as he could speak. “Why—how—Eh! It can’t be possible.”
“That is just what I thought, even while I was seeing the thing done,” replied Frank. “He was pulled down by a lasso; and the Mexican who caught him wheeled his horse and galloped off, dragging Dick after him. If his neck had been made of iron, it must have been broken.”
“But how did he happen to be around where the Mexicans were?” asked Archie, who could not bring himself to believe his cousin’s story. “Why didn’t he stay at home, where he belonged?”
“Why didn’t we stay at home where we belonged?” retorted Frank. “If we had done that, Dick would have been alive and hearty, now. He lost his life in trying to save me. But we have wasted time enough in talking. How did you get in here?”
“I don’t understand it at all,” said Archie, who could not have been more astounded and terrified if he had suddenly been knocked over by some invisible hand. “I shan’t go on that hunting expedition with Captain Porter, even if I do recover my horse.”
“If we don’t find some way to get out of this den of robbers, we’ll never have a chance to go with him,” replied Frank. “How did you get in here?”
“Didn’t you hear me unlock the door? I’ve got a key to every room in the rancho. Well!Well!I can’t get over that piece of news. I wish we had a light.”
“The men who brought me in here left their lantern,” said Frank. “We might look around and find it, but don’t you think it would be dangerous to light it?”
“We couldn’t be in a worse fix than we are in now. We don’t know how many miles of rooms and passage-ways we must travel through before we can get out of here; and I’d rather be discovered, and take my chances for escape, than to run the risk of breaking my neck before I know it.”
The boys threw themselves on their hands and knees, and began creeping about the floor, searching for the lantern. Frank found it at last, and when it had been lighted, Archie held it up, and took a good look at his cousin.
“I am sorry to see you here,” said he; “but since you are here, I am glad I have found you. What’s the first thing to be done?”
“Have you any weapons?” asked Frank. “These people don’t seem to think much of me, and if I am doomed to fall into their hands again, I want something with which to defend myself.”
“You must have had a terrible fight,” said Archie, again glancing at his cousin’s face; “and I should judge that you had come out second best.”
Frank shrugged his shoulders and felt of his head, but had nothing to say. Archie hesitated a moment before he spoke again. He was wondering who had got the worst of the encounter—he or the Ranchero. He had not quite made up his mind which was the most severe punishment—twenty-five or thirty cuts over the head and shoulders with a rawhide,or a single well-directed blow from the butt of a heavy pistol, delivered with the full power of an arm that was all muscle. After a a few seconds’ reflection, he decided that he would rather be in his own boots, than in those of the man he had knocked down; and that, taking all things into consideration, he could truthfully say that he had given the mutineer a good drubbing.
“I’ve just had a terrible whipping,” said Archie, “but I didn’t get the worst of the fight. I hit somebody a crack that he will remember for a day or two, I guess. I’ve got plenty of weapons—three pistols and a bowie-knife. Put this revolver in your pocket.”
At this moment the cousins were startled by a noise at the door—not the one by which Archie had entered, but another on the opposite side of the room. Somebody was trying to open it. The door was not locked, but it held at the bottom.
“We must run for it now,” whispered Archie. “We’ll go out at this other door; and by the time he gets in here, we’ll be safe in another hiding-place.”
Handing his lantern to his cousin, Archie pulled out his keys and began fitting one to the lock; but his operations were suddenly interrupted by the sound of voices and footsteps in the passage, telling him that the Rancheros, from whom he had escaped a few minutes before, were returning. Their retreat in that direction was cut off. The boys looked at each other in dismay. There were but two doors in the room, and while their enemies were at each one, which way should they go? The noise at the door grew louder. Some one was certainly trying to get in, and, what was more, he seemed determined to accomplish his object; for his pulls at the door grew stronger, and the boys could hear him grumbling to himself in Spanish because it would not open. It yielded a little with every pull, however, and it was evident that he would soon succeed in effecting an entrance. Archie drew his pistols, and looked to his cousin for advice.
“Put away those weapons,” said Frank, earnestly. “If you should fire one of them here, it would show our enemies where we are,and destroy our last chance for escape. Hide yourself, and blow out that lantern.”
Archie had barely time to act upon this suggestion, when the door flew open with a jerk, and looking over the top of a box, behind which he had crept for concealment, he saw a Mexican enter the room. By the light of the lantern he carried in his hand, Archie also discovered his cousin stretched upon the floor, his feet crossed, and his hands placed behind his back. The latter knew why the Ranchero had come in there.
“You’re safe yet, are you?” said the Mexican. “That’s all right. So many strange things have happened here to-night, that I should not have been surprised if I had not found you. Santa Maria! How’s this?”
The man had bent over to examine his prisoners bonds, and for the first time discovered that he had been liberated. Astonished and alarmed, he acted upon his first impulse, and started for the door; but Archie was there before him. The Ranchero, who was wholly intent of making good his retreat, did not see him, however; and the first intimation he hadof Archie’s presence, was a pair of strong arms thrown around his legs, which were pulled from under him, causing him to fall backward upon the floor. He struggled furiously, and opened his lips to shout for help; but, before any sound came forth, a hand grasped his throat, and the cry was effectually stifled.