Adrian looked at the man and winked one eye very slowly.
"Señor, it is true," spoke up another. "I was a guard at the time."
Adrian could scarcely believe the statement, but he afterward learned that the men spoke the truth.
"Well, then," he said, "we had better look to our arms, for we may need them. There is no knowing how this affair has turned out."
The advice was well taken, for as they drew near the scene of the wreck, they saw that they were badly needed. More than a dozen horsemen were in sight at some distance from the wreck and with their long-range rifles were doing their best to pick off any one who showed his head.
"Our party must be out of ammunition," suggested Adrian, "or they would give a better account of themselves."
"Our carbines would not carry that far," explained one of the guards.
"Our Marlins will," replied Adrian, and as he spoke there were two simultaneous flashes from two of the car windows and two of the bandits fell, one shot from his horse and the other with his horse shot under him.
For a moment the other horsemen hesitated as to the course they should pursue and then, putting spurs to their horses, they dashed toward the train, just as the express car, having reached the end of the track, bumped onto the ties and came to a stop.
"Now!" cried Adrian as the riders drew near, firing as they came, and four shots rang out.