The remainder of the afternoon was therefore spent in riding, throwing the lariat and in shooting, much to the gratification of Mr. Black, who declared he had never seen a better exhibition of its kind.
As a result of their experience, the boys picked out three medium-sized horses, which Mr. Black emphatically stated showed their good judgment of horse flesh, as completely as their riding had proved their horsemanship.
They were all in the saddle early the following morning, Josie's wound having healed sufficiently to permit her to ride without danger.
Early morning in the tropics is the pleasantest time of the day, and although the road from Mr. Black's hacienda to Moreno would take them from an altitude of over four thousand feet down to about two thousand feet above sea level, they would be sufficiently up in the mountains to make riding fairly comfortable.
The route chosen took the little party first to the headquarters of the Carranza force operating in that section. They were warmly greeted by General Dorantes, the commanding officer, who furnished them with a guard of four men and passes through the lines, "if," he added as he bade them good luck, "you should find it necessary to pass our lines. If my reports are correct, we are in possession of all the territory to the south."
For hours the cavalcade rode on without incident, stopping only long enough to partake of a mid-day meal at the hacienda of Don Alvaro Flores, a friend of Mr. Black's. Late in the afternoon, however, when about six miles from their destination, there came to their ears the sound of heavy firing—of field pieces mingled with the occasional roll of a machine gun.
They stopped and listened intently.
"Which direction do you make the firing to be?" asked Mr. Black of the corporal in command of the escort.
"In the direction of Tierra Blanca, sir. It sounds as though our forces might have been attacked."
"How will that affect our journey?"