ADRIAN FOILS A TRAITOR.
It was nine o'clock of the second night that Adrian and Billie, accompanied by Mr. Black's mozo, José, and the ten troopers, reached the outskirts of Moreno.
They had made good headway the first night, had slept in the hills during the day and had come this far without molestation.
"If everything goes to the end as it has this far," remarked Corporal Brooks to Billie as they neared the little town, "it will be nothing but a pleasant outing, sure enough."
Arriving at the edge of the town, the boys sent José forward to see how the land lay and to bring them word.
"Do you think you can trust him?" asked the corporal.
"We'll have to," replied Adrian. "I believe he is loyal, and Mr. Black seems to have complete confidence in him."
"Let's hope so, anyway," said Billie. "It seems to be the best we can do to get word to Mr. Black of our presence."
"Hurry back, José," urged Adrian as the mozo departed.
"Si, señor," was the brief reply. "You may depend on me."
"It ought not to take him more than half an hour," explained Billie. "It isn't more than a mile."
But a half hour passed and then another and still no José.
"Something must have happened to him," said Adrian.
"That's the charitable way to look at it," laughed the corporal. "It's more likely, however, that he's making arrangements to have something happen to us."
"I hardly think so," was Billie's comment, "but, if he is, we'll fool him."
"How?"
"We'll move."
"But he may come back."
"We'll leave one man here on guard. The rest of us will go around to the other side of town."
"Good!" from the corporal. "You are a strategist."
The plan was at once carried into effect.
"Now then," said Billie, "I'm going in to town myself."
"Not much," declared Adrian. "I'm going."
"I'd offer to go myself," laughed the corporal, "but I don't know the place."
"We'll toss for it," said Billie.
"All right," and Adrian produced a coin. "Heads I win. Tails you lose."
"No funny business," said Billie. "Choose heads if you want."
Adrian flipped the coin. It came down heads up.
"All right," agreed Billie. "Now for some set of signals."
"Our old Broncho Rider whistle if I need help," said Adrian. "If everything is O. K., I'll give the whip-poor-will."
Adrian slid from his horse.
"What are you doing?" asked Billie.
"I'm going afoot. I didn't spend my boyhood among the Indians for nothing. Good-bye!" and a moment later he disappeared in the fading moonlight.
"Whatever the conditions," said Billie, "we'll soon know," as he settled back in his saddle.
Running swiftly along, Adrian made straight for the barracks in which he knew would be found whatever soldiers might be in the city.
"If I find everything quiet at the barracks," was his thought, "I can go straight to where Mr. Black is stopping without fear. If I find there is any disturbance, I'll be more careful."
Ten minutes of running brought him to the barracks. All was as quiet as the hour demanded. He stood under the shadow of the back wall long enough to hear the sentry's call and then he turned in the direction of the house where the two Americans were stopping.
It was only a few blocks away and he reached it without incident.
"Kind o' funny," he mused, "that I haven't seen or heard a soul on the street. I wonder what's become of José?"
He stopped a minute to ponder.
"Things are going almost too smooth. I'll just stop a bit."
He stole past the house and a moment later threw himself into the gutter, where he lay as one dead.
The wisdom of his action soon became apparent.
He hadn't been lying there two minutes until a solitary figure passed him and stopped in front of the house, evidently listening to hear what might be going on inside.
A moment later he was joined by another figure. Adrian could just make them out in the darkness.
"Have they come?" was the whispered question.
"I can't tell," was the whispered reply.
Adrian heard both the question and the answer distinctly.
"It's José," he said to himself. "He knew that it was the plan for Billie and I both to come to the house. The traitor! I have a notion to shoot him in his tracks."
Only the fear of creating a disturbance kept the lad from carrying out his notion.
"Why don't you knock and tell the Gringo you are here?" was the next question.
"They might be in there."
"Well, what of that? You can tell them you were stopped by the guard and have just been released. That'll seem reasonable."
José stepped to the door and knocked.
There was no response and he knocked again.
"Who is there?" asked a voice.
"José. I just come from Vera Cruz. Let me in."
There was a movement within and presently the door opened and José entered, closing the door behind him.
Adrian slowly arose to a kneeling posture.
"I wonder what the other will do now?" he wondered.
He did not have long to wait, for the other knocked on the pavement with his gun and presently several more figures appeared. Adrian had just time to throw himself to the ground and escape detection.
The men in front of the house exchanged whispered confidences and then all but one started to leave.
"If any one attempts to leave the house," was the command, "fire! If any one attempts to enter, allow them to do so and then give the customary call."
"Bueno!" was the response, and all but the one withdrew.
A minute later Adrian again arose to a crouching posture and as the sentry cautiously approached the door, he crept up behind him. An instant more and he was upon the man and had him by the throat.
The man was a wiry Mexican and evidently in training, for he squirmed and kicked vigorously; but Adrian's grip was too firm upon him and in a couple of minutes he sank down limp upon the ground.
The noise of the scuffle must have been heard inside, for the door cautiously opened and a head peered out.
Without a question Adrian sprang within, dragging the lifeless form of the sentry with him.
"Quick, bar the gate!" he commanded.
The command was obeyed.
"Now where is Mr. Black?" he asked.
"Upstairs talking with José."
"All right. Bind this man while I go up. Don't let him escape or he is liable to cut your throat."
"No temer V, señor" was the response, meaning "Have no fear."
Adrian ran lightly up the stairs, revolver in hand. He heard voices talking and had no doubt that José was narrating some trumped-up story.
"Yes, señor," he heard the mozo say, "they are expecting you. It is necessary that you go at once."
Adrian flung open the door and covered José with his revolver.
"Put up your hands," he commanded. Then to Mr. Black, to whom José was talking: "Take his weapons away from him, Mr. Black."
Realizing at once that something was wrong, Mr. Black obeyed.
"Now tie him."
This was also quickly done, Mr. Black asking at the same time what had happened.
"I can't tell you exactly, Mr. Black, but this man has betrayed us and we are now watched by a squad of soldiers."
Mr. Black's face turned as black as his name.
"Is that true?" he demanded, seizing José by the shoulder with such a powerful grip that the man cried out with pain.
"Oh, señor," he cried, "don't kill me! I will tell you all."
"See that you do," was the command. "One lie and I will wring your neck as I would a chicken. You know me."
"I'll tell the truth. I told the captain at the barracks. He is going to capture all the Americanos and hold them for ransom and I am to have half."
"That is evidently the truth," declared Adrian, and he proceeded to tell Mr. Black what was being done to get him and his daughter to Vera Cruz, and how José had played them false.
For a moment it looked as though Mr. Black might wreak his vengeance on José, but after a minute he thought better of it.
"You ought to die this minute," he declared, "but I'll wait till I have more time." Then to Adrian: "What had we better do now?"
Before Adrian could reply the clear note of a bugle rang out upon the night air.