"Gone, señor," he said with a groan, "as if they had vanished into the night. There is no trace of them, though I looked to right and left. The rascals must have driven them into the cover. We are cornered. Escape is out of the question."
"Never say die!" answered Dudley stubbornly. "Things look nasty, I admit, but we are not taken yet. But there is something else which is worrying me. Listen, Pepito! We must send a warning to Mr. Blunt, for I can see the game which this fellow and his men are playing. We thought to take them unawares, and to find out all about them; while they must have seen that we suspected them. More than that, once they had heard from us of the intended combination of the owners of the estancias, they saw that instant action on their part was necessary, or we should soon be too strong for them. Our faces must have told them what we thought, and have warned them of the report we should give to Mr. Blunt. The rest is clear."
"Clear, señor. I do not understand," answered Pepito.
"Then I will tell you. The rascals decided to attack us at once and capture every one of our band. Then that report would never reach our estancia; while, instead of our arriving, this Italian—for that I think he is—would raid the place with his ruffians, and as likely as not kill our employer and those who attempted to defend him."
An exclamation burst from the gaucho spread full length at his side. "Then that explains their presence here, señor," he said. "They followed us, and were waiting in the forest to ride out and surround our camp. And we, thinking to watch their movements, raised the camp, and rode back here into their arms. Bah! It makes one's blood boil to think that we have had such evil luck. But you were saying, señor, that you had some trouble."
"I have," replied Dudley decidedly. "We have others to think of. There is Mr. Blunt; he must be warned. Someone must creep away from here and make for the estancia. I would go myself, but I am in command, and stand or fall with my men."
"Then I will go," came the prompt answer, while Pepito sprang eagerly to his feet, only to fall again the next moment; for now that the contest had slackened and active movement had not been necessary for some few minutes, the fact that he had been wounded was borne in on his mind. He had felt the stinging blow given by the bullet, and had at once determined on revenge, for this handsome and gallant gaucho had the hot blood of Spain in his veins, and to him a blow received demanded an instant return. But punishment had been given, the enemy had for the moment been forced to retire, and now the pain of his wound returned. The injury was not a very serious one, but sufficient to make the limb stiff and movement painful. It was clear at once that the task of reaching the estancia was, for him at least, an impossible one.
"More evil luck!" he groaned. "This wound would tire me before I had gone many miles, even on a horse. The task falls to some other man. If the señor will permit I will choose one who is crafty and brave."
A minute later, indeed, he had called one of his gauchos to his side, where he repeated the orders which his young leader gave.
"You will creep out into the forest and search for a horse, amigo," he said. "Take your pistol and knife only, and strike hard if you should meet one of the robbers. When you are through, ride for your life and warn them at the estancia. Let them gather the other owners and the gauchos and bring them, back here at the gallop. There, go. You are brave."