The Broncho Rider Boys with Funston at Vera Cruz | Page 4

Rider Boys.
Half an hour after sighting the bandits, the boys halted on the railroad
track, well secreted from their quarry by the curve before mentioned.
"And none too soon," declared Donald as the sharp whistle of the
engine was heard perhaps half a mile away.
"How shall we flag her?" asked Pedro.
"With that red bandana handkerchief on Billie's neck," replied Donald
as he reached over and snatched the neckwear from its place.
Springing from his horse, he ran up the track waving the red signal as
he ran.

A sharp blast from the whistle a couple of minutes later gave proof that
the danger signal had been seen, and the grinding of the brakes told that
the train was coming to a stop. Even before this was an accomplished
fact the conductor swung himself from the front car and came running
down the track to see what was the matter, while the guards covered the
boys with their carbines.
"What do you mean by stopping the train?" he demanded angrily.
Donald explained in as few words as possible.
The conductor signalled the guards to him and told them what Donald
had said.
"What had we better do?" asked the conductor.
"We had better go back to Pachuca for help," replied the guards.
"And let the Zapatistas escape!" exclaimed Billie hotly. "What do you
want to do that for?"
"We have only six guards," the conductor explained, "and----"
"And that, with us, makes ten," interrupted Billie.
The conductor regarded the boy with surprise.
"Do you mean you will join us to help capture the bandits?"
"What do you think we're here for?" asked Billie.
"Yes," chimed in Adrian. "What do you suppose we stopped the train
for?"
"But even ten are no match for twenty or more," declared the guard.
"Of course they are," said Donald, "if the twenty are taken by surprise."
"Which they will not be if we don't act pretty quick," insisted Billie.

"Come on! Let's go after them," and he climbed up onto the car.
"That's what I say," said Pedro, following Billie's example.
Without more words the others followed and the conductor gave the
signal to go ahead.
"How about the horses?" asked Donald, turning to Pedro.
"They'll be all right; but if we capture the Zapatistas we'll have horses
enough any way."
"And if we don't," remarked Billie grimly, "there'll be some riderless
horses any way."
"Let us hope that they will not be the ones we have left behind," said
Donald gravely.
CHAPTER II.
A STRANGE MIX-UP.
While the train was gathering headway the conductor and the guards
rounded up all the men they could find on the train who were armed.
There were more than a dozen, so that in point of numbers, the force on
the train nearly equalled the Zapatistas. These were so stationed at the
windows that they could give the would-be robbers a warm reception.
"We must use some strategy," declared Adrian, "or we will simply
succeed in killing a few and scaring away the others. That will not be a
very brilliant deed."
"No," from Donald, "but it will save the bullion. What's your plan?"
"Well, I was thinking it would be a good plan to separate the train."
"How?"
"You can see it is all down grade from here to where the bandits are

waiting for us."
"Yes."
"As soon as we get to running a good speed, Billie and I will go into
the express car with the three guards. You and Pedro stay here with the
other guards and the passengers. As we near the bandits, uncouple the
train, put on the brakes and stop the coaches. We will rush by with the
engine and express car, firing as we go----"
"Which will be all right," interrupted Billie, "if they don't ditch the
engine."
Adrian's face fell.
"I hadn't thought of that."
"Well, you'd better."
After a moment Adrian's face brightened.
"They might better ditch the engine and express car than the whole
train," he declared.
"Right you are," from Donald. "If you and Billie are game enough to
try it, I say it is the proper thing. If they ditch the engine, we will be
back a ways and can run down to your assistance. If they don't ditch
you, we will have them between two fires."
"Just what I thought," replied Adrian. "How about it, Billie?"
"I'm game. My head may be a little thick, but I can see just as far
through a two-inch plank as the next one."
"All right, then. Come on," and Adrian led the way into the car ahead,
while Donald and Pedro stood by to uncouple as soon as they passed
the clump of trees before alluded to.
Almost at the same instant several sharp blasts from the