"Moving day with you fellows, is it?" demanded Hal of the guard who spoke English.
The fellow chuckled quietly.
"You've outwitted us, haven't you?" demanded the young lieutenant dryly. "You're moving munitions of war toward the river. You expect to ship them soon—but perhaps you won't succeed."
"You may prevent, if you can," laughed the Mexican.
"We shall see what will happen," retorted the Army boy.
"Nothing—so far as you American soldiers are concerned," came the triumphant answer.
"You shall see," vaunted Hal, though inwardly he groaned. He had been outwitted, in his first command as an officer, and he could feel the hot shame of the whole thing.
"But I don't see how you fellows can get anything out of Guarez's barn, unless you have been able to noose the whole of the sergeant's guard posted there."
Another laugh, and one of undisguised, unmistakable merriment, escaped the Mexican.
"Eh?" wondered Hal, for that laugh set him to thinking. Yet he did not pretend to himself that he could fathom what lay behind that laugh.