The Border Boys Across the Frontier

in actua

is tan. Walt, however, seemed as imperturbable as ever, and gazed out at the a

rious one. He handed the boy

quint fer

rnestly. Pete talked th

black horse? I'd know that horse ten miles

Eastern lad's astounded lips, while th

ster. Here, Jac

he glasses to his own eyes. Viewed through the magnifyi

h they rode. As Coyote Pete had said, there was little difficulty for any one who had seen him once, in recognizing Black Ramon de Barros. His magnificent black horse-the same on which he had escaped from the old mission-made him a marked man among a thousand. The wag

on to that on which the cavalcade was approaching. Thus, Black Ramon and his men could not see that the mesa was

danger had come upon them so suddenly, so utterly unexpectedly, that it had caught them absolutely unprepared. They had not even a rifle with them on the mesa summit, a

in case of trouble," whispered Pete. "I wish to goodness we'd brought the stock up inside the mesa, and then t

our footmarks in the as

hey may be only going to make this a watering-p

across that rock

They couldn't very well get tha

e they've got a wagon f

e other boys get back in that altar. If it gets too hot here, I'll jump in and join you

me what are yo

There's something mighty st

ithin the altar, which afforded a comfortable hiding-place, even if it was a trifle hot. The poor professor was in great pain from his ankle,

had happened within the last fifteen minutes, and, in his anxiety

the circumstances been different the boys could have smiled at the odd co

returned. His reappearance was not an orderly one. Instead, he landed in the interior of t

ws?" ask

," was the

y found o

hitching and cooking a meal. Luckily the shade at this time of day lies to the no

ave you found out about them

ed. They are a part of

-run

pposed. Half of Chihuahua is up in arms ag'in the government, and they are plotting to blow up railroad bridges, c

Chihuahua, close to th

in, Black Ramon, mention his name. Your d

scoun

you know, and now's th

that dad is

machine-guns in heavy cases. They are labeled as agricultural machinery, and were taken off the train by white accomplices seventy miles or more f

w are they going to get them across, do you suppose?" asked the prof

er mentioned the mountains. You don't suppose there's an

an airship," sugg

gravely, "I wouldn't pu

Ralph suddenly, "s

crouched at one end of the hollow altar, the professor and Coyote

nd, from the inflection, the boys judged that whoeve

d Jack suddenly, in a low whi

wolf-hearted a band of ruffians-if they were all like their leader-as ever infested the border, was inevitable within the next few minutes. Taking into consideration their co

n their hiding-place, heard a shout

sa!" exclaimed Pete in a low, tense voice; "in

, curt command of some sort. The lads could hear footsteps hurrying hither and thi

lph suddenly. The boy's eyes were blazing wild

h came backward sprawling, and landed in a heap in Jack's lap, knocking Walt

red Jack. "They'

redible thing-had happened. The floor beneath them,

rested tipped, and, with a loud, ringing cry of terror from Ralph, they were pl