Several times he performed the feat, until the boat was past the middle of the stream.
“I guess I’m near enough now,” he thought to himself, “so I won’t have any trouble,” and was about to release his hold and let the boat go on her way, when the man at the bow called out sharply:
“Where are you going? Do you want the gringo patrol to get you?”
The words were spoken in a much louder tone, evidently, than had been intended, and must have been heard from the American shore, for immediately thereafter there came a challenge in English:
“Boat ahoy! Who goes there?”
There was no answer from the boat, only an answering tug from the oarsman, who pulled lustily to turn his boat from shore, while Billie, using himself as a rudder, strove his best to keep the boat in an opposite direction. The result was that the boat kept straight ahead.
“Who goes there?” again came the challenge. “Answer, or I’ll fire!” A threat which was carried out a moment later when no reply was forthcoming.
The patrol must have caught a glimpse of the boat, for the bullet whistled through the air close to it.
“Caramba!” shouted the man in the bow. “Why don’t you pull?”
“We are pulling!” exclaimed the oarsmen, “but the evil one must have the boat in his grasp, Don Pablo! We can’t turn it!”