“I’m afraid I can’t do it!” Billie finally shouted. “I guess I’ll have to give up!”
“Don’t,” called back the soldiers. “Hang on and we’ll come out after you. One of the boys has gone for a boat.”
“All right,” called Billie. “Hurry up!”
“If they don’t,” muttered the lad, “I’ll have to give up.”
Then he thought of his mission, which had momentarily been driven from his mind by the excitement.
“I can’t give up,” he thought. “I must get into the boat.”
Holding on to the gunwale with one hand, he reached up and took his six-shooter from under his hat, letting both the hat and cartridge belt fall into the river. Then, as the shots continued to fly over the boat, he slowly pulled himself aboard, at the same time calling out to those on shore:
“Cease firing! I’ve boarded her!”
Having boarded the batteau, the next thing for Billie was to make himself master of the craft, an act which he at once recognized was somewhat difficult, seeing it was two to one, and at least one of the two was probably just as well or better armed than he.
However, there was no backing out, nor had our hero any idea of such a thing. He knew if he would succeed in the mission which he had undertaken there must be no such word as fail. Therefore, the first weapon at hand was strategy, and strategy Billie at once employed by putting himself in a position where the oarsman served as a shield for any bullet Don Pablo might see fit to fire at him.