While the fish were cooking, and while Alex was bringing everything in the eatable line over from the Esmeralda, Case and Jule told of the adventures of the night.
“You see, it’s just like this,” he began, but Jule stopped him with a laughing remark.
“Tell about your adventures first,” he said.
Captain Joe, who had been trying all this time to attract attention to himself, now sprang upon Alex and began licking his face. The boy stroked the dog’s head affectionately. His side was still sore where the outlaw’s bullet had cut its way through the flesh.
Case replied with a laugh, and went on with his story.
Alex and Jule had come across Case, it seemed, when he had given up all hope of finding the fish and was on his way back to the Rambler. The three had searched a long time for Buck and Rube, but had found them at last.
They had taken what they had believed to be a shorter way to the boat and had lost their way, being at the time of meeting Alex and Jule, traveling in the right direction.
“Why don’t you get us over to God’s country?” demanded Jule.
“All right!” was Case’s answer. “The counterfeiters had evidently crossed over from the American side of the Rio Grande in a rowboat, for one was found in a little bayou near the point of meeting. This gave Rube an idea.
“‘Why not take the prisoners across the river without going to the Rambler?’ he asked. ‘If we lock ’em up in a Mexican jail, the chances are that they will be out before our backs are turned. The people over here have little respect for the law.’