"So that, perhaps, senor," suggested the peon, slyly, "you will be willing to take me with you to your own country. Perhaps there, also, you will be able to give me work as your servant."
"Rest assured of one thing, Nicolas. If we can get you safely over on to the American side of the border we'll look after you properly."
"I am very grateful, senor," protested Nicolas, humbly.
"But we're a long way from the American border as yet," Tom went on.
"You will get there safely, senor," predicted the peon. "You are a great man, and you know how to do things."
"Well, for simple faith you're the limit, Nicolas, my boy. For one thing, though, it strikes me that our getting over the border, which is some hundreds of miles away, might be hindered if we have the tough luck to run into any of Gato's armed pals along this route."
"You do well to remind me, senor!" cried Nicolas, in a low tone, but one, nevertheless, which was full of self-reproach. "So much have I enjoyed my talk with you that I have been forgetting to look after your safety. Pardon me, senor. I will vanish, but I shall watch over you with the wide-open eyes of the panther."
In another instant Nicolas had vanished from the trail. Tom, however, did not worry. He knew that Nicolas was not far away, and that the little peon was doubtless as valuable a scout as their expedition could have.
"I wish I had asked him to unload that gun, though," Reade muttered to himself. "He's likely as not to hurt some one else beside the enemy with a stray bullet or two."
Three miles further on Tom, Harry and their prisoner halted, for on the rough road they were now becoming winded.