Andy never said another word; but evidently Rob had set him to considering the conditions, and he saw things in a different light.
"They've got some horses aboard that car away back," Merritt announced. "See, they are getting them out! Look at that man giving orders, Rob. Seems like everybody just hustles whenever he says a single word. I reckon he must be somebody away up!"
"Mebbe General Villa himself!" suggested Tubby exultantly.
"I'm hoping it may turn out that way," Rob remarked, trying to appear calm, although himself more or less excited. "But whoever it is, he must have given orders for a pursuit, because you notice that as fast as the men get on this side they join some of our friends here, and go hurrying off. It must be that they hope to waylay the Federals before they can reach their horses and gallop away."
A short time later they began to hear regular volleys from the quarter whence these squads of eager-eyed men had gone, which would plainly indicate that they had been successful in intercepting the enemy, so that something like a fight was going on. Their shots must have bowled over some of the cavalrymen's mounts, for several prisoners were brought back to the train, wearing the dirty white uniforms of the Mexican soldiers and looking as though they expected a short shrift, with a firing squad to follow.
Meanwhile, the boys had been intensely interested in watching the figure of the mounted man who seemed to be a born leader. He directed all that was done, and appeared capable even of starting the rebuilding of the bridge after some fashion, so as to allow the passage of troop trains.
"Yes," Rob was telling himself, as he kept his eyes focused on the figure of this man, using his glasses meanwhile to aid his vision, "I really and truly believe that must be General Villa himself! I've heard him described, and this man seems to fill the bill."
Each of the other scouts must needs have a look through the wonderful lenses; after which, Rob called to Lopez, who chanced to be passing.
"Is that General Villa?" the scout asked.
"None other, young señor," the guide replied.