“Yes, for a peon,” said Billie, determined not to be satisfied.
“Santiago says he is more than a peon. He says he is a great man.”
“That may be so—in the eyes of Santiago; and still he may amount to very little in a place as big as Presidio del Norte.”
“To hear Santiago talk about him,” interjected Donald, “you’d think he was a great general.”
“That’s because he was the head of a little band of what Santiago calls patriots during the Madero revolution,” replied Billie.
“Well, that ought to be enough to identify him,” declared Adrian exultantly. “I’ll bet we can find him.”
Billie was not satisfied, but as the road at this
point was through a ford of the river, conversation for the time was interrupted; and, when the boys again came abreast, the conversation took another turn. What has been said, however, is sufficient to show the mission upon which the boys were bent.
By dint of hard riding the boys reached the Rio Grande before dark, and immediately crossed to the American side and hunted up Captain Peak.
“Well, well!” he exclaimed, as he caught sight of them. “I was afraid you had run into some kind of trouble, you were gone so long!”