CHAPTER XVII
ON MEXICAN SOIL AGAIN
This continued for perhaps an hour, the boys paying little attention to the racket made on the river bank. Then a shot was heard and the ragamuffins disappeared as if by magic.
Directly a detachment of United States soldiers made its appearance. The soldiers were warmly welcomed and Alex insisted on giving them all the food he had prepared.
“It’s only to cook more,” he argued.
“But I’m hungry enough right now to eat one of the outlaws,” Jule declared.
“If we’d waited a few minutes longer,” Alex laughed, “you might have had feet fricassee! That was a close call, young man! We got there in the nick of time.”
In time the soldiers were all fed, and then the boys began the work of getting the dinner over again.
The lads were warmly thanked for their hospitality.
“You may get into a place it won’t be so easy to get out of,” said the young lieutenant in charge of the squad. “If you do, and we are anywhere within reach, don’t hesitate to ask for help.”