The Boy Scouts Under Fire in Mexico

In the town it became a subject of common talk, and all sorts of ideas were passed around concerning this new and most extraordinary scheme of the scouts. Some people who were not in love with the organization, like old Hiram Applegate, the farmer who had caused the boys so much trouble in a previous story, openly scoffed at the idea of half-grown lads undertaking such a risky mission. He said their parents must be crazy to allow it; but when casual mention was made of his own wild son, Jared, who had gone rapidly to the bad, and had not been heard from since his misdeeds at Panama came near getting him into trouble with the United States Government, Hiram suddenly remembered he had an engagement elsewhere.

Even the old-time enemies of the Eagles, Max Ramsay, Hodge Berry, and a few of the members of the rival Hawk Patrol, investigated the exciting news, and tried to prove to their own satisfaction that the people of Hampton were prejudiced in favor of Rob Blake and his crowd, because all sorts of splendid things seemed to be continually coming their way. They were wilfully blind to the fact that the boys of the Eagle Patrol had surely deserved all the good fortune that had been showered upon them thus far. This was because they had set their standard high, and tried to conform to the rules that govern the scout movement.

That was a long night to four boys at least in Hampton. At noon on the following day a great crowd gathered at the station to see them leave for New York, where they expected to take the night train for the Far Southwest. Rob and his three chums felt their hearts beat a lively tattoo as they saw the faces of home folks and patrol comrades among those present.

As the train pulled out of the station amidst loud shouts and good wishes, and waving hats and handkerchiefs, the boys could distinguish one sound that thrilled them to the core, and made them remember the vows they had taken always to be true scouts.

This was the shrill "k-r-e-e-e" of the Eagles, given in concert by the other members of the patrol to which all of the travelers belonged; and the last thing they saw as they leaned from the windows was the swarm of campaign hats that went flying up into the air.

Then, as the scene was blotted out in the cloud of fine sand raised by the train, the four boys, thus boldly starting on a long and hazardous journey in quest of Uncle Mark's last remnant of his fortune, sank back in their seats and just looked at each other, too overcome to say a single word. Behind lay home and all the dear ones; while beyond was the land of revolution and turmoil – Mexico!

CHAPTER XII.

ALONG THE RIO GRANDE

"Here we are coming into El Paso at last!" called out Rob, as he started to get his various bundles together, so as to leave the train that had carried them over the last part of their long and tiresome journey across the whole of Texas.

"And I'm about as happy to hear that as if you'd told me I was made a first class scout, and could hang the whole badge on my sleeve, where now I only sport the lower half, 'Be Prepared!'" cried Tubby, also getting busy.

The boys had some time before been warned that they were nearing their objective point on the American side of the border stream known as the Rio Grande. Tubby loudly declared that he could not see anything so very grand about the river; that they had wider creeks up North than this seemed to be, away up here so far away from the Gulf.

When they alighted they stared around them, naturally, because strange sights at once began to meet their eyes, accustomed to other types of people. A great crowd stood around, in which were khaki-clad United States regulars off duty; cowboys; Mexicans with swarthy faces, both men and women; Indians with their curios for sale in the shape of finely-woven baskets and pottery of gaudy hues; and many other classes of people besides.

Of course the four lads came in for return stares, and they could well understand that, for doubtless they were the very first Boy Scouts to drop in on El Paso. Many persons at once believed that they must be new recruits for the army. These observers remarked to one another that things had come to a pretty pass when Uncle Sam found it necessary to enlist half-grown boys in the service, now that it looked as though intervention in Mexico must come about sooner or later.

Rob, however, paid little attention to curious looks. He went about his business with the air of one who had all his plans well matured, and knew just what must be done first.

Asking a few questions, he was directed to a sort of hotel. When they had reached it, it did not strike Tubby as giving much promise of good "feeds"; and he did not hesitate to express that opinion when they were alone in the big room with its two beds that had been assigned to them.

"We don't expect to stay here more than the one night," Rob told him; "only to get rested up and be in shape to start across the bridge there after we've purchased horses and found a guide who can run off greaser talk. So I wouldn't make any more row if I were you, Tubby."

"We'll see that you get enough to eat if that is what worries you," Merritt went on to say consolingly; and at that the fat scout managed to smile a little.

"Well," he remarked with a sigh, "if the rest of you can stand for it, I guess I'll just have to, that's all. But, jiminy crickets, things look pretty shady after coming straight from a nice clean home!"

"You'll have to put up with lots worse than that, Tubby; so cheer up," said Andy. "And now, what is the first thing on the program, Rob?"

"Clean up the best we can, and rest till after we've had our dinner," the other advised. "Then we'll try to get an interview with the commander of the forces here, and see what he thinks we'd better do."

"Huh! like as not he'll tell us we must not dream of venturing across to the other side, unless General Villa happens to be in Juarez right now, which I reckon would be too good luck," Tubby replied disconsolately. "And I hope, Rob, that if he does talk that way he won't influence you to call it all off. Think what silly guys we'd feel like, starting back home without even making a try to invade Mexico!"

"Don't let that keep you on edge, Tubby," the patrol leader told him; "you ought to know me by this time, and that I never give up a thing I've set my mind on till the last horn blows. We've started on this business of your Uncle Mark's; and we'll see it through, or know the reason why!"

"Hurray! them's my sentiments!" exclaimed Andy, and even Merritt waved his hand above his head, as though he fully agreed with the other comrades; so Tubby was able to appear at ease once more, as a great load had been removed from his heart.

When they had partaken of a wretched dinner that made Tubby look quite blue because there was hardly a thing that seemed to taste right, the four boys started out to look the border town over. They cast frequent glances across the guarded bridge connecting El Paso with the Mexican shore of the river, and finally asked of a passing soldier the way to headquarters.

Already they had learned who was in command at El Paso at that time, and had even glimpsed the general at a distance. It happened that they found the commander at leisure, which was a wonder, for he had his hands full during these troublous times trying to keep the peace, when there were so many chances of Americans and Mexicans coming into armed conflict along the river for miles.

The officer looked them over as they were ushered into the room. Rob had been wise enough to send in a note telling who they were, and that they wished to consult him on a very important piece of business.

"So, you are the four Boy Scouts whose arrival created so much furor, are you?" the general asked, as he frankly held out his hand toward Rob, whom he immediately recognized as the leader. Perhaps this was due to Rob's manner of carrying himself; or else to the fact that he wore his badge upon his left shoulder, showing that he was a scout master, and hence in command. Soldiers have quick eyes to catch these things that might slip past an ordinary citizen.

"We are Boy Scouts, General," Rob replied; "but we did not know that our coming to El Paso had made more than a ripple. My name is Rob Blake; this is Corporal Merritt Crawford; the one next him is Andy Bowles, our bugler; and this last member goes by the name of Tubby Hopkins!"

The officer in command at the border town shook hands warmly with each of the boys. He tried his best not to smile as he noted how well named Tubby seemed to be; for one could hardly look at him without being forcibly reminded of a butter firkin, or else of the most useful family utensil on wash days.

"Why, I understand that for a time, until they learned who you were," the general went on to remark, with a quizzical look, "there was considerable indignation going around that our great Government should send out boys to help patrol the Rio Grande, and to keep the fighting Mexicans on their own side of the river. But you say you wish to consult me about something; so, as my time may be limited, suppose you start in and give me the facts. I want to assure you in the start, though, that I've watched the growth of the scout movement from a small beginning; and that I'm heart and soul in favor of it as the finest thing that ever happened for uplifting the American youth. It's going to make a great difference in the kind of men we'll be having ten and twenty years from now."

After hearing that, of course, Rob knew they would have the full sympathy of the general in the carrying out of their mission. However, he might fear that they were undertaking too great a task in risking the dangers of travel through so disturbed a country as Mexico at that time, since both Federals and rebels were feeling anything but friendly toward Americans.

So Rob started in to narrate the entire story, and he made such a fine thing of it that the interested listener only interrupted him a few times to ask further particulars concerning certain points.

All the while his eyes kindled with growing admiration for these brave lads, who were ready to take such great risks in order to save Uncle Mark's cattle, if it so happened that they had not been already seized by one side or the other of the contending forces.

"I suppose it would do no good for me to try and discourage you, boys," he said heartily, after the whole story had been told; "because I can easily see that you would try to carry out your plans at any rate. And that being the case, I might as well give you what advice I can, and help you in that way."

His words caused every boyish face to be wreathed in smiles.

"That is very kind of you, General," said Rob; "and we will try to act on the advice you give us, you may be sure. All we want is to meet General Pancho Villa; and from what Uncle Mark told us about his being a man of his word, we think the rest will be easy."

The experienced officer smiled grimly. Possibly he had opinions of his own about whether one who had been a lawless bandit for years would remember a kind deed to the point of throwing protection about the ranch of his former friend; but he did not venture to disturb the belief of the sanguine scouts.

"First of all you must have horses. I'll put you in touch with a man who can supply those, for I understood you to say you had plenty of money to pay for an outfit. Then you must take enough supplies along to do you for a week; because you may be that long getting to the town of Chihuahua, where we have reason to believe Villa is at present. He has forced many rich Mexicans and trades people there to pay tribute; and hundreds have made a pilgrimage across the desert with the two thousand Federal soldiers who were forced to leave Chihuahua when the Constitutionalists, as Villa's men call themselves, captured the place. And last of all, I know the very man you will need to serve you as a guide. He is a Mexican, but I have always found him entirely trustworthy; and he will be glad to favor me. So I will give you a few lines to Mardo Lopez, and tell you at what inn you can find him."

It was certainly cheering to hear the general say such kind things; and later on, when he shook hands all around again and told them to come and see him if he could do them any further favor, the four boys felt that they had indeed great reason to rejoice, because "all things seemed to be coming their way," as Andy put it.

They soon found the man called Mardo Lopez. While he did not impress them very favorably, because he seemed to have what they thought to be a dark, crafty face, he readily agreed to do everything in his power to oblige the general, and to prove that he could be trusted.

After that they took the guide with them to pick out the horses, knowing that his judgment would be better than their own; for Mardo was accustomed to traveling across the desert lands that stretched in many places between the river and the capital of Chihuahua, some two hundred miles and more from the border, and almost due south.

By the middle of the afternoon they had bought everything needed, and had their mounts, together with equipments for the same, safely housed at the tavern where they put up. Then, at Andy's suggestion, the Mexican took them for a little stroll, meaning to ask many questions concerning the organization to which they belonged; for Mardo had, it seemed, heard about the scouts, but up to that time had never been told what they stood for.

Rob, it may be set down as certain, was only too glad to pass the word along; for he himself believed so thoroughly in the uplifting power of the Boy Scout movement, that he wanted everybody to understand it in the same light.

The four boys and their new guide were walking along close to the bank of the river, the latter telling them many things that they would have to run up against once they found themselves on Mexican soil, when far away across the river there came the dull report of a gun; and then, just over their heads something cut through the air, making a whining sound that gave them all a thrill.

That was the first time they had really been under fire; but even Tubby seemed to know instinctively what the queer whistle meant, and that a bullet had passed within a few yards of their heads.

CHAPTER XIII.

CROSSING THE FORD

"Whee! hunt cover, fellers! Somebody's making a target of us!" exclaimed Tubby, looking wildly around for a convenient tree or adobe hut behind which he might hide his ample form.

But the Mexican guide showed them how they could quickly find shelter back of the bank; and, possibly, all of the boys breathed easier when assured that they were no longer exposed to the fire of the unseen marksman far back on the other side of the narrow river.

"But what does it mean?" asked Rob. "I thought the rebels were in force across the bridge, and that they did all in their power to make Uncle Sam look on their side with favor."

"It is so, young señor," the guide replied; "but often have the bullets come across here when the Federals and the rebels, they have fight it out over there. But now it is that some man thinks if Americans are shot it must come that the soldiers in El Paso will have to cross the international bridge, and that would mean what they call intervention."

"Oh! I see what you mean," Rob told him. "Then that was only some crazy man with a gun who wanted to bother Uncle Sam and make him real mad so he would send his soldiers across to punish him. And once they stepped on Mexican soil it would mean we'd have a war on our hands."

After that they were careful not to expose themselves more than seemed necessary as they continued their walk; and coming back they kept further away from the river so as to avoid a repetition of the bombardment. There was not much chance of the wretched marksman hitting them; but then, even bullets fired at random have been known to find a lodging place, as Rob had been told.

One of the first things the guide had assured them was that it would never do for the scouts to think of trying to enter Mexico by openly crossing the bridge. It was closely guarded on the one side by Uncle Sam's soldiers, and across the line by squads of rebels. The latter examined every one wishing to come or go, in many cases forcibly preventing the exit of some promising subject who might be made to yield tribute to the cause of the revolutionists, as well as refusing to allow others to enter Mexico, whom they believed might have some object contrary to the interests of their side.

But then the guide had informed them that he knew a ford where they might with perfect safety cross the river, now at a low stage. Once on the opposite shore they must depend on the fleet heels of their horses to take them inland, and in this manner avoid a meeting with any hostile force.

It was all arranged that they start early on the following morning. Mardo was ready to do whatever they asked; and Tubby expressed himself as decidedly anxious to meet General Villa with as little delay as possible. He felt just as Uncle Mark had declared it might be, that the rebel commander in Chihuahua would by now believe he had done all that could be expected of him in serving the man who years before had saved his life, and who had been also a friend of the lamented President Madero. And as Villa's army needed rations and money desperately, possibly he would be planning either to kill off the fine steers on the Matthews Ranch, or else sell them to some enterprising American speculator for shipment across the line.

Perhaps none of the boys expected to sleep any too soundly that night, thinking of what a novel experience was before them; though all of them were tired after their long train ride.

Not a great while after supper, however, a soldier came to the inn and asked for Rob. He bore a message from the commandant to the effect that he would be pleased to have another little chat with the young assistant scout master to hear how his plans were coming on.

This decided interest which the general seemed to take in their enterprise gave Rob considerable pleasure. He eagerly availed himself of the privilege of meeting the soldier once more, and only regretted that his three chums had not been included in the invitation.

And Rob spent a very satisfactory half hour with the general, to whom he confided all his plans. He told so much about the previous experiences of the Eagle scouts, also, that the interested soldier felt reluctant to terminate the interview.

"I could go on chatting with you for hours, my son," he said, shaking hands as he dismissed the boy, "because I am so deeply interested in your ambitions and in what you have already gone through, you and your fine comrades. But I have appointed a meeting with some of my officers to plan for the new emergencies that are continually arising. Believe me, you have my best wishes, and if I do not see you again on your return – for something tells me you will return, and after successfully carrying out your mission, too, – let me hear from you. It will give me great pleasure to reply."

This sort of talk was encouraging, to say the least. It gave Rob renewed ambition to push on along the course he had mapped out.

Of course, when he arrived at the inn he found the other boys still sitting up waiting for him; so that by degrees everything that the general had said had to be repeated before they consented to go to bed.

With the coming of morning they were all up. Tubby kept declaring that he did not have a wink of sleep all night on account of the hard bed and the various strange noises that came from without. But Andy returned that every time he waked up, and it must have been in the neighborhood of a dozen separate occasions, he had particularly noticed that Tubby was sprawled over two-thirds of their bed, and snoring "to beat the band." After that Tubby closed up, possibly under the impression that the others would call him a fake.

As soon as they had had breakfast they found the guide waiting, mounted on his own horse; and then the bustle of preparation began. Tubby had to be helped more than a few times, for he became so excited that he could not remember where he had left a number of important things. Andy finally declared that it was lucky that the fat scout's head was firmly attached to his body, for otherwise he would be losing that also!

"Well," answered Tubby, grinning, "even if that did happen, I wouldn't be the first feller who'd gone and lost his head, would I? I'd like to have ten dollars for every time you have, Andy Bowles."

Finally everything was in readiness, and they started; but there were no cheers wafted after them on this occasion. The boys, acting under the advice of the general, had been very careful not to tell a single person other than Mardo Lopez what they intended doing. The rebels had many secret sympathizers on that shore of the Rio Grande; and perhaps one of these might think it worth while to transmit the news across that a little party of gringo boy soldiers contemplated invading the sacred soil of Mexico.

Leaving the lively town of El Paso behind, the little party struck along the river, and continued to gallop for several hours, until they came to the place where the ford mentioned by Lopez lay.

The cautious native guide was very careful to keep a bright lookout, not wishing to have his charges fired on from either bank of the stream while crossing.

"Better you wait here, young señors," he observed, as they pulled up in the shelter of some scrub trees that grew on a rise; "as for me, I will go over and take a look around on the other side. When you hear me call, and I wave my hand, it is a sign that you cross safely."

"All right, Lopez, we're on to what you mean," Andy told him.

They watched him crossing the stream, taking note of what he did, so as to keep the current from pushing his mount from the shelf that made the water so shallow.

"We must copy exactly that way of doing," Rob directed the rest. "I never crossed a river at a ford in my life; and certainly not on horseback. But it seems easy enough once you've got the hang of things."

"Huh! won't be any trouble at all," Tubby assured him, being confident of his ability to keep his horse headed right; and Andy also declared that it looked "just as easy as falling off a log."

Lopez, after pulling out on the other side, rode some distance up and down, as well as back from the river, in order to make sure that there might not be a party of natives, whether Federals, rebels, or bandits, lying in ambush. Should such a party open fire upon the boys while they were in the middle of the stream, they would be next to helpless to return the shots.

"There, he's waving his hat, now, and beckoning to us to come on!" exclaimed Merritt, as the guide came galloping down close to the edge of the river. "That means the coast is clear, and we can cross over in peace. Rob, after you!"

Rob started in, and so well had he taken note of his landmarks, that he was able to follow exactly after the guide. At the same time he kept his horse's head turned partly up-stream, so that it could resist the sweep of the swift current. Had the flank of the animal caught the full force of the rushing water the crossing would have been more difficult.

Merritt came after Rob, then Andy, and last, but far from least, Tubby. No sooner did the latter find himself in water deep enough to wet his half-drawn-up feet than he realized that to a novice this crossing a ford was not such a simple thing after all. He tried his best to follow Andy, and in so doing exposed the side of his horse to the swing of the current more than policy would seem to dictate.

In consequence of this indiscretion, presently Tubby began to find that he could no longer keep exactly in the wake of the scout just ahead of him. Then he discovered that he was constantly losing ground, so to speak, and being carried further and further down the river, a foot at a time.

He could hear Lopez shouting something, but as the Mexican had unconsciously lapsed into Spanish, of course poor Tubby failed to understand a single word of the instructions he was calling.

"Hey, I'll have to swim for it, fellers!" the fat boy shouted; though just what good it would do to inform his comrades of his predicament he could not have told had he been asked.

Rob turned in the saddle and saw that unless a miracle came to pass, Tubby was bound to get a wetting. He started to call out something, and then stopped short, for it was useless to try and tell the luckless scout what to do. Already his horse had reached the end of the ford and was in deep water, swimming lustily for the shore; while the alarmed Tubby threw both arms around the animal's neck, and held on for dear life.