CHAPTER XVIII
A SLIPPERY CUSTOMER
The Rio Grande makes a long bend where the boys left it, and almost returns upon itself after winding in and out for many miles. The land is swampy in places as the river approaches Painted Cave, but mountains show, too, and the country is without any population to speak of. Its general features are rugged.
As the lads alternated between rocky soil and swamp, they had little leisure for conversation. It took about all their strength and agility to make their way, leaping, now, over pools of water, now climbing over rocky elevations.
The Southern Pacific runs close to the river here, and the boys could hear the trains moving along the line, on the American side. Now and then they caught sight of moving cars.
“I’m pretty nearly all in,” Jule complained, as they halted on a dry elevation to catch their breath. “I don’t suppose we could have chosen a rougher country than this if we had looked for a thousand years! It’s fierce!”
“Oh, it’s good enough—for a mountain-climbing goat!” Alex answered, wrinkling his nose. “What do you think about our being able to catch that boat?”
“I give it up!” Jule said, beginning to whistle.
He broke off after a minute and remarked:
“In the light of recent developments, what do you think of the situation? Clay and Case are true as steel, and, between them, they ought to be able to put Thede and Paul on their backs, especially as the latter has a broken leg!”