“For my father,” he muttered, as he walked back toward the Rangers with his hands uplifted in token of surrender.
A few more scattering shots and the fight was ended. The surviving members of the band were disarmed and placed in the center of the camp under guard. Several of the Rangers had been wounded but not seriously, for the Mexicans, indifferent marksmen at the best, had shot even more wildly than usual owing to the completeness of the surprise.
After everything had been attended to, Captain Bradley had time to congratulate Phil and to receive the warm thanks of the latter for having come to his help in his sore extremity.
“That’s all right,” smiled the captain. “I’m only glad that we got here in time. You surely had a close call. It was the radio that saved you.”
“Radio and you combined,” replied Phil, “and it proved a strong combination. I want to ask one more favor of you Captain,” he continued, “and that is to let two of your prisoners go.”
He pointed toward Tony and Juanita, the latter of whom was sitting in a group of the women, her dark eyes filled with fright.
He briefly related how he owed his life to them and the Captain nodded sympathetically.
“Of course, I’ll let them go,” he answered. “As a matter of fact,” he continued, “I don’t see how I’m going to take any prisoners back with me. You see this whole thing is rather irregular”—he smiled whimsically—“as we technically have no right to invade Mexican territory, even though we’re doing a service to civilization in wiping out this den of rattlesnakes. It might stir up a row at Washington, even though Washington at heart might be glad we did it. We Texans don’t care much for red tape ourselves, but there’s no use in embarrassing the Government. Espato and his lieutenant are dead, and the rest of these rascals can drift away wherever they will. But I’ll give this Tony and Juanita, as you call them, a pair of horses and let them get a head start for fear some of these fellows may have it in for Tony because he killed Espato. The rest I’ll keep till tomorrow and then turn them loose.”
He was as good as his word and in a little while Tony and Juanita were started off, with fervent thanks from Phil and as much money in their pockets to start housekeeping with as the boys could scrape up between them.
The next morning the rest of the prisoners were released, after they had been given a stern warning by Captain Bradley that their lives wouldn’t be worth a moment’s purchase if they were ever again found on the other side of the Mexican border. Then the troop took up its march to Laguna, while Phil, Dick and Tom hovered over them with the plane.