CHAPTER X

Flight and Pursuit

The Rangers all scrambled to their feet, and after Captain Bradley had asked a few questions and given some directions Steve introduced the Radio Boys to him.

“Here are the aviators I told you I was going to enlist, Captain,” said Steve. “They just landed a few hours ago.”

“Good enough,” said the leader, heartily, and he shook hands with each in turn. “You’re a mighty welcome addition to our force. We’ve got plenty of work cut out for you, too.”

“We’ll do our best to make good,” said Phil. “After some of the stories we’ve heard about these cowardly raiders, we’ll be glad to go on the warpath any time you say.”

“That’s the spirit,” said the Captain, approvingly. “You’d better spend the next few days in getting acquainted and learning something of the country, though. I suppose your plane will require some attention after such a long drill, too.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we could find something to do on it,” grinned Phil. “We like to keep it in good shape, and Dick here is a regular bug. He can worry more about a thousandth of an inch play in a bearing than anyone else I know.”

“Well, it’s best to be on the safe side,” said Captain Bradley. “I understand from Steve that your plane is equipped with a wireless set, too.”

“Yes, sir, we put that on after we decided to join the Rangers,” said Phil.

“You can join right now, if you want to,” said the Captain heartily. “That’s entirely up to you, though, you know.”

“The sooner the better, as far as I’m concerned,” said Phil, glancing at his friends, who both nodded. “I guess we’re ready if you are, sir.”

“Fine!” exclaimed the Captain. “Quick action is what we like around here. Come on over to my shack.”

Fifteen minutes later the boys had taken the oath, and were duly inducted into the Texas Rangers. They were supplied with the usual outfit of khaki shirt and trousers, high-laced boots, and broad-brimmed sombrero. These clothes set off their athletic young figures to fine advantage, and the Captain inwardly congratulated himself on this addition to his forces.

The following days were busy ones for the Radio Boys. The Rangers were all crack shots with rifle and revolver, and daring and expert horsemen. The boys had had comparatively little experience in either of these exercises, but it was not long before they could ride and shoot in a manner to win words of commendation from the hardy men of the plains.

“That’s purty dern good shootin’”, remarked one old timer, as he watched Phil riddle a condensed milk can at a hundred paces. “’Pears to me, though, that that can would look better if it didn’t have no cover on it. Let’s have your rifle, young feller, an’ I’ll see if I can take it off.”

Lifting the rifle to his shoulder, he fired three times in rapid succession, and the cover went spinning into the sand, neatly severed from the rest of the can.

“Good night!” exclaimed Tom, “that would be a good way to open a can if you were in a hurry.”

“Some shooting,” said Phil admiringly.

“Show him the poker chip trick, Dan,” grinned Steve. “Here’s a few I happened to have in my pocket.”

Taking the chips, Dan drew his revolver, and tossed five chips into the air. His revolver barked five times, and the five chips were shattered into fragments.

“How do they do it?” exclaimed Dick, amazed. “How long did you have to try before you could do that, Dan?”

“It’s all a matter of practice, I reckon,” said the other. “If you stay out here long, you’ll learn to do the same thing. When your life’s apt to depend on your quick shootin’, you don’t waste any time learnin’ how.”

In addition to riding and shooting, the boys took many flights over the surrounding country, accompanied by Steve or one of the other Rangers who was thoroughly familiar with the country. They soon had acquired a good working knowledge of the surrounding territory, and all felt competent to do useful service if called upon.

Nor was their opportunity long in coming. Early one morning one of the patrol riders came dashing into camp, leaped from his horse, and dashed into Captain Bradley’s bungalow. A border town had been raided by the Mexicans the previous night. The citizens had put up a desperate fight, but they were far outnumbered, and during the battle several were killed. Fires were set at different points, and in the resultant confusion the guerrillas made their escape, taking two girl prisoners with them.

As soon as the camp heard this news, all was bustle and preparation. Word was sent out for the Radio Boys to report at Captain Bradley’s office immediately.

They found the Ranger leader pacing up and down the small room, a grim and relentless expression on his face.

He spoke in curt, incisive tones.

“I want you fellows to locate those desperados and, if possible, find out where they go,” he ordered. “They’ve got a big lead over us, and our chances of catching them on horseback or even with automobiles is small. But with your aeroplane you may be able to succeed where we would not. And above all things, we want to get those two girls back. Let that be your first duty. You can start at once, can’t you?”

“Yes, sir,” said Phil. “We’re ready, and so is the machine.”

“Good!” exclaimed Bradley. “If you travel almost due south, you’ll be the most likely to pick up their trail. Do your best, and luck be with you.”

The boys saluted, and hurried out, breaking into a run as soon as they were in the open.

“We’re off, Steve,” shouted Phil, as they passed their friend.

“So are we,” said Steve, as he threw a saddle onto his horse’s back. “But you’ve got a big advantage over us. Go to it, though, we’ll all be rooting for you. I only wish I were going with you.”

The boys wheeled the _Arrow_ out of the rude shed that had been constructed for it. They had no need to make an inspection, for they had been over everything the previous afternoon, and knew that everything was as it should be. Phil and Tom leaped into their places, Dick spun the propeller, and as the engine took hold, leaped to one side and scrambled aboard as the plane began to gather headway. Amid the cheers of the Rangers they roared along the ground and then soared swiftly aloft to begin the most exciting flight they had ever known.

They climbed steadily, holding a southerly course as Captain Bradley had directed. Far away they could see a blotch of smoke, and they headed for this, rightly conjecturing that it marked the site of the raided town. Phil opened the throttle, and the _Arrow_ sped with breath-taking speed through the crisp morning air.

In a few minutes they had covered the distance that it would have taken a horse hours to traverse. Arrived over the town, they could see the hills in the distance toward which the raiders were probably at that moment travelling. They could make out a deep cleft between two mountains, and Phil decided to head toward that, as it was probably a pass through which the Mexicans would have to go.

Phil let the _Arrow_ out at full speed, and at the same time swooped earthward, the better to see objects on the ground. The brown desert had given way to green vegetation, and still they had seen no sign of the raiders, when Tom, who was scanning the earth through a strong pair of field glasses, uttered a cry.

“There they are, Phil,” he shouted, “Bear a little to the right, and we’ll soon be right over them.”

Phil shifted his lateral controls, and in a few moments he and Dick could see the column of raiders without the aid of glasses. The raiders saw them, too, and there were wild shouts and gesticulations in the cavalcade as the boys swooped down close to it. They could plainly see the two girls, who were mounted on two mules. The girls realized that the aeroplane must contain their countrymen, and stretched up imploring arms toward it. But it would have been madness for the boys to attempt a rescue in broad daylight against such overwhelming numbers, and they had to content themselves with keeping track of the cavalcade.

The bandits were panic stricken under this surveillance, and hastened their progress as much as possible, heading for the gap in the hills that the boys had previously noted. Toward evening the bandits passed through this gap, and laid their course for a tall mountain a few miles from it. Through the field glasses the boys could see them winding up a path, and finally saw them disappear in what seemed to be a big cave in the side of the mountain. Several remained outside evidently as sentries, and to deceive these, the boys turned about and headed north, toward Laguna, as though giving up the chase for the night.

But this was far from being their intention. After carefully locating the cave, the boys flew about ten miles, and then descended on a level place to eat supper and hold a council of war.

“My idea is this,” said Phil. “Let’s wait until after dark, and then fly to the foot of that mountain and land. I noticed a fine level place there, and I think I can find it again, even after dark. Then, we’ll leave the plane there, and creep up to the camp. Once there, we’ll have to see how things look, and plan accordingly. We’ve got to get those poor girls away from them, some way or other.”

“You bet,” said Dick. “It certainly hurt to have to leave them this morning. I guess we’re about their last chance, for they can expect no mercy from Espato.”

Night descended quickly, and after a hasty inspection of their firearms the boys climbed aboard the _Arrow_, and started on their mission of rescue.