While the lads lay watching the river, and wishing themselves aboard the distant Rambler, three ferocious-looking fellows crept upon them, moving over the hot sand like snakes. So intently were the lads watching the motor boat that the first intimation of their peril they received was the harsh laugh of one of the Mexicans as the three closed up behind the unsuspecting youngsters. When Alex turned around he found himself looking into the steel-blue muzzle of an automatic.
“Welcome to our midst!” the boy said, trying to make a grin come easily.
One of the Mexicans seized Don by the shoulders and drew him back, as if about to strip the money belt off him, but another checked him with a coarse command. It was plain that they still believed the belt to hold the treasury notes, and plain, too, that the three were not trustful of each other. At least, for some reason, two of the three preferred leaving the money where it was for the time being.
The Mexicans were evidently waiting for some anticipated event to take place, for they sat down near the boys and kept close watch of the river and the shore opposite where the motor boat lay. The lads soon saw Case and Clay row down the river in search of Alex, saw King board the Rambler, saw the Mexicans desert him, and heard the shots fired across the levee.
They saw the dog spring overboard and swim down to them, but could not induce him to come to them. Captain Joe soon disappeared, and in a minute the Rambler dropped down to the point where he had left the water and Case landed on the island and made for the shore, almost exactly where the lads lay with their captors.
Alex tried to warn the boy, but dropped back in disgust when a gun was thrust into his face!
CHAPTER V.—A SURPRISE FOR THE GREASERS.
“Get up and get him!” commanded one of the three, in tolerable English, as Case reached the shore. “We’ll have to take him, too!”
One of the others replied angrily, but neither of them moved. It was evident that the three were suspicious of each other, and that neither of them cared to lose sight of the boy who was believed to have the stolen money.
They could not trust each other even to the extent of removing the money from the boy who was supposed to carry it. Each one thought the boy’s waist a more desirable place for the cash than the hands of either of his companions!