In the morning they had taken their coffee, and were preparing for a start, when, just as they were mounting their horses, one of the men drew their attention to a man running at full speed toward the house from the direction of Mr. Mercer's.
"What can be the matter?" Charley said. "What a strange thing that a messenger should come over on foot instead of on horseback!"
"Let's ride and meet him, Charley," Hubert said; and putting spurs to their horses, they galloped toward the approaching figure.
As they came close to him he stumbled and fell, and lay upon the ground, exhausted and unable to rise.
The boys sprang from their horses with a feeling of vague uneasiness and alarm.
"What is the matter?" they asked. The peon was too exhausted to reply for a moment or two; then he gasped out, "Los Indies! the Indians!"
The boys gave a simultaneous cry of dread.
"What has happened? Tell us quick, man; are they attacking the estancia?" The man shook his head.
"Estancia burnt. All killed but me," he said.
The news was too sudden and terrible for the boys to speak. They stood white and motionless with horror. "All killed! Oh, Ethel, Ethel!" Charley groaned.