The Border Boys with the Mexican Rangers

Some terrific catastrophe had occurred within the confines of the caves in the heart of the Trembling Mountain. Following the explosion there came a sound like that of a landslide.

CHAPTER XXIV

THE DEATH TRAP

“What can have happened?”

It was Jack who spoke some ten minutes later.

“In my opinion some cataclysm has occurred,” said the professor.

“Meaning by that, that there’s bin a most almighty bust-up?” inquired Pete.

“In colloquial language that was the idea I intended to convey,” said the professor, with dignity.

“Well, what do you think this catty – what-you-may-call-’em has done?” asked Jack.

“Sealed forever the treasure caves,” said the professor promptly. “That explosion we heard was either the ignition of gas from the mouth of the idol or it marked the birth of a new Flower of Flame. In any event the roar and tremble which followed was pretty good evidence that there had been subsidence of the rock in that neighborhood, which, of course, means that the passageways must have caved in.

“Well, we got our share out of it,” said Ralph philosophically.

“Yet it is a great pity that such a thing has occurred,” said the professor sorrowfully, “I had been in hopes of making this cave the Mecca of scientists the world over. This explosion has blasted my dreams of such a thing.”

“Wall, don’t feel too bad about it, professor,” comforted Pete, “we got enough stuff to start a show of our own with, anyhow.”

As there was nothing to be gained by remaining in the cave, they decided to get out to the open air as soon as possible. As they went Jack spoke up suddenly:

“Has it occurred to you fellows that we are carrying a bait that might tempt less dangerous fellows than that band of Ramon’s to plunder us?”

“That’s right,” agreed Pete, “but I guess we won’t be bothered. Nobody but Ramon had wind of our mission, and I don’t imagine that after the lesson the Rangers gave him that he’ll come back in a hurry.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” said Jack, “from what I know of him he’s not the sort of man to let go of a good thing if he can help it, and he’d certainly have a good thing in us, providing he could get the treasure away from us.”

“Always provided,” said Ralph, “but I’ll bet we’d give him a sharp tussle for it.”

“Let us hope nothing of the kind occurs,” said the professor, “we have had difficulties enough on our mission, and now that it is over let us hope we can bring it to a peaceful conclusion.”

“Amen to that,” agreed Pete, “but in time of peace prepare for war, you know. Have you any plans for the return home?”

“Yes,” said the man of science, “the city of Hermosillo on the Mexican West Coast Railroad is not many miles from where we now are. My idea is to make for that and take the train back home.”

“Hooray for the good old U. S. A.!” shouted the Border Boys in chorus.

Conversing cheerily in this manner they reached the mouth of the passage and were about to step out into the starlight, when Pete, who was in advance, held up his hand in a signal that they all had no difficulty in interpreting.

“Stop!”

The keen eyes of the cow-puncher had detected several dark forms skulking in the shadows of the grove about the portal of the cave. From their manner of pacing about, Pete immediately guessed that they were sentries posted there by somebody, whom he concluded could be no other than Ramon.

Retreating down the passage, Pete told the others of his suspicions and a council of war at once followed.

“We’re hemmed in beyond a doubt,” said Jack finally.

“And the question is, how to get out,” put in the professor, as solemnly as if some question had been raised about the matter.

“Wall, if we don’t git out afore long, we’re gone coons,” was Pete’s gloomy contribution.

Suddenly Jack spoke up.

“Do you think the sentries saw or heard us, Pete?”

“No, I don’t. If they had, we’d uv heard of it by now. My idea of the situation is this: Ramon outwitted the Rangers and back tracked on us. Arriving at our camp and finding it deserted, he guessed we’d gone arter the treasure. The rascal thinks to himself that we will make fine cat’s-paws to draw his chestnuts out of the fire, and so, knowing he has us bottled up, he sets those sentries on duty arter he’s tracked us up the mountain side.”

“I guess that’s about it,” rejoined the boy; “the question is, what are we to do?”

“Wait till I go and look the land over a bit,” said Coyote. “In the meantime, put out those torches. If one of those greasers should come snooping into the passage, he might see the glow and nose us out.”

So they waited in total darkness while Coyote departed on his scouting errand. It was a long time before he came back. When he did he was chuckling to himself.

“They’re the worst scared bunch you ever saw,” he said, “I laid behind a rock and listened to ther talk. They think that at any moment some spirits or ghosts is likely to pop out of this hole. They likewise opine that we shall never be seen again because the bogies in the mountain have gobbled us up.”

“But what good does that do us?” asked Jack.

“I dunno,” admitted Pete, “except that it sounded funny to hyar a bunch of grown men so scared of spooks.”

“Light up a torch, Ralph,” said Jack the next minute, “it makes me feel creepy to sit here in the dark.”

Ralph reached into his pocket for the bundle of sulphur matches. As he drew his hand out, his fingers, moistened with perspiration, gleamed greenly with the phosphorus which had adhered to them.

“Gee, look at that stuff blaze!” he exclaimed, “you’d think I was on fire!”

But Jack was on his feet doing a sudden ecstatic war dance.

“Hooray! Hooray! I’ve got it!” he cried.

“The extinguisher?” inquired Walt anxiously.

“No, a plan. A great plan! Those greasers outside are all half frightened out of their lives already. We’ll finish the job!”

“How?” the question came in chorus.

“We’ll smear our faces with that phosphorus from the matches, and then rush out looking like a lot of green ghosts. If that won’t stampede them, we’ll have to fight. We can’t stay mewed up in here.”

“By hookey, boy, you’ve got it all right!” cried Pete in a voice vibrant with excitement. “We’ll try it. As you say, we can’t stop hyar and starve, and that’s what it amounts to if we don’t git out.”

“So it’s scare them or fight them,” said Ralph.

“That is, with the odds in favor of the former,” laughed Jack.