The Border Boys with the Mexican Rangers

“I shall see that they reach their destination safely,” said the officer, taking them and thrusting them into the bosom of his coat. “And now, adios!”

“Adios!” The cry was caught up by the Rangers and went echoing out along the mountain side.

At the same instant, as though moved by a common impulse, the Mexicans swung their wiry ponies and dashed off toward the East. The Border Boys stood watching them till in a cloud of dust they vanished from their sight forever. Then turning in silence they rode down into Hermosillo. Here telegrams were despatched telling of the success of their quest, and the next day they boarded the train for home. The ponies traveled less luxuriously than their masters, in a stock car, while in the express coach, guarded by shotgun messengers, were the precious trophies of the cave.

“Say, Jack, if I’m not too curious, what was in that package that you handed the officer yesterday?”

The question came from Ralph.

“A present of gems for himself and his men,” was the rejoinder. “I knew you would think I did right in giving it to them. In fact, I had the professor’s permission to do so.”

“And the letters?” asked Ralph.

“Well,” said Jack, “one was to Don Alverado thanking him for all he had done, and bidding him good-bye. The other was to – somebody else.”

For a time the boy sat silent, gazing from the windows at the flying landscape, – and seeing nothing of its details!

But the past was behind them, and Jack was not the boy to waste time on moonshiny thoughts. In fact, while all the party lingered long in memory among the strangely varied scenes of their recent experiences, life was full of a new zest, and the future beckoned them.

Ere long, to share with you our prophetic knowledge, the keenest faculties of the Border Boys were to be called into action. In Texas, the Lone Star State, some work, play and adventure lay in front of them, and those who have hitherto followed our Border Boys through their careers of incident and excitement, may find more about them in another volume, which will be called “The Border Boys With The Texas Rangers.”

The End