“What can this mean?” he exclaimed. “Yonder is a man watching us. Let us go up to him at once and find out what this means; perhaps Jack has found friends; perhaps the valley is inhabited.”
It was a moment later that the scene of recognition which we have described took place.
“How came you here, señors?” demanded the Mexican, who, seemingly, was the first to recover his self–possession.
For reply Captain Atkinson whipped out his revolver with incredible swiftness and leveled it at the fellow’s head.
“Speak the truth, Alvarez,” he snapped, “or it will be the worse for you. Where is Jack Merrill?”
“If you mean the boy who was dashed over the falls with me,” was the reply, “he has gone.”
“Gone?”
“Si, señor.”