“Here’s a problem,” said Jerry, bringing the car to a stop. “How are we going to get over that? No bridge and no ferry in sight.”
“Perhaps it isn’t as deep as it looks,” suggested the professor.
“Tell you what!” exclaimed Ned. “We’ll all go in for a swim and then we can tell whether it’s too deep to run the auto across.”
His plan was voted a good one, and soon the boys and Professor Snodgrass were splashing about in the water. Their bath was a refreshing one. Incidentally, Ned found out that he could wade across, the stream in one place coming only to his knees, while the bottom was of firm sand.
While the travelers were splashing about in the cool water, they might not have felt so unconcerned had they been able to look through the thick screen of foliage on the bank of the stream, and see what was taking place there.
Several dark-complexioned men, in company with Vasco Bilette, had dismounted from their horses and were watching the bathers.
“Well, I’m glad they decided to stop,” remarked Vasco. “Our horses are tired from following their trail. They will probably camp for the night on the other bank, for they would be foolish to go farther when they can find good water and fodder.”
“You forget they do not have a horse to consider,” spoke one of the Mexicans. “Their machine does not eat.”
“No more it does,” said Bilette. “But they cannot go much farther. If necessary, we can cross the river and get at them.”
“Is that Noddy boy and his puff-puff carriage to join us?” asked one of the crowd of Mexicans.