CHAPTER XI

Desperate Chances

They flew slowly, so as to make as little noise as possible, but it was not long before they spied several twinkling camp-fires shining against the black background of the mountain. The bandits were drinking and carousing, and, having convinced themselves that the aeroplane had returned to civilization, they were not keeping much of a lookout. A brisk breeze was whistling through the pine trees, and this, together with the noise of their revelry effectually prevented them from hearing the exhaust of the aeroplane.

Taking no chances, Phil shut off the motor while they were still some distance away, and volplaned silently down. When they were close to the ground, and below the level of the cave, Dick switched on their powerful searchlight, and with its aid they made a safe though bumpy landing.

And now the time had come for utmost caution. They were on the enemy’s ground, and capture would mean not only their own deaths but those of the two girls as well.

Silently as shadows the three friends climbed up the steep slope of the mountain, guided by the distant flicker of the camp fires through the trees. Soon they had reached a place where, peering through a screen of trees and underbrush, they commanded a full view of the Mexicans’ encampment.

The black mouth of a giant cave yawned against the side of the mountain, and in front of this was a broad level space, on which grew a few straggling trees. The clearing was bounded on all sides by dense forest, and afforded an excellent hiding place for evil-doers.

Three great fires roared and crackled in this clearing, and about these the bandits sprawled, some eating, others drinking, gesticulating and swearing. The Radio Boys looked anxiously for the two girls, and were not long in discovering them. The Mexicans had bound them to the largest of the trees growing in the clearing, so tightly that they could not move hand or foot. They were in the full glare of the fire, so that the boys had to bide their time until the bandits should tire of their carousal and go to sleep, allowing the fires to die down.

About ten o’clock the moon arose and this added to the boys’ difficulties, for as it climbed higher in the heavens it lit up the whole landscape, making it almost as light as day and rendering concealment difficult.

With what patience they could muster, the boys waited for the raiders to quiet down. At last, rendered unconscious by their potations, the bandits one after another dropped into drunken slumber. The fires died down, and now the time for action had arrived.

Between the forest and the trees to which the two girls were bound there lay a clear space some thirty feet wide, and to cross this meant to run a fearful risk of detection. Fortunately, however, the moon was obscured at intervals by clouds scudding before it, and the boys waited until the dark shadow of a cloud crept over the clearing, and then crept silently forth from their concealment.

A low moan came from the tree where the girls were tied, not one of the bandits having taken the thought or trouble to loosen their bonds. Phil drew his sharp hunting knife in readiness to cut the ropes that held them, but the three boys had hardly crossed half the open space before the moon began to emerge from behind the cloud.

“Lie down, fellows, quick!” hissed Phil, and threw himself flat on the ground. The others did likewise, but had one of the Mexicans wakened at that time, they would certainly have been discovered. Fortunately, the raiders were so intoxicated that even the sentry had fallen into a heavy drunken stupor. The boys lay tense, ready at the first alarm to rush to the girls, cut their bonds, and then dash for the aeroplane. But as yet they were undiscovered, and after what seemed an age of waiting, another cloud crept over the moon.

Scarcely had its shadow encompassed them, than the boys were on their feet, gliding toward the unfortunate captives. The girls did not know of their presence until they felt their bonds fall away as keen-edged knives undid the Mexicans’ brutal work.

“Don’t cry out,” whispered Phil. “We are friends, and are here to get you away.”

The poor girls were so exhausted that when their bonds fell away they sank to the ground, almost incapable of movement. This was something the boys had not foreseen, but this was no time for hesitation. Phil glanced up toward the moon, and saw that the cloud was already beginning to thin and shred away.

“You take one, Dick, and I’ll take the other,” whispered Phil, “you go ahead, Tom, and break a path for us through the woods.”

Stooping, he took one of the exhausted girls in his arms, and made for the concealment of the forest, closely followed by Dick with the other girl.

Before they could reach the friendly shelter of the trees, however, one of the bandits turned over restlessly, sat up, and rubbed his eyes. The vacant look turned to one of surprise as he caught sight of the Americans, who were quite close to him. He sprang to his feet, but before he could utter a cry of warning Tom leaped at him like a panther, and struck him a stunning blow with the butt of his revolver. The man sank to the ground, and Tom hastened after the others, who by now had reached the welcome shadows of the forest.

Here progress was slow. Branches and creepers tore at and clung to them, but they kept doggedly on, spurred on by the knowledge that the man whom Tom had felled might regain consciousness at any moment and give the alarm. They had covered about half the distance to the plane, when there was a wild shout from the raiders’ camp, and a bullet whizzed through the branches above them. Other voices took up the cry, and soon the boys could hear men crashing through the forest behind them.

Roused by the sounds of pursuit, the girls regained some of their strength, and insisted that they could run, so the boys set them down. They were still weak, but struggled bravely down the steep mountain-side, assisted by the boys. Progress was slow, though, and they realized that their pursuers were gaining.

“Wait!” commanded Phil, as bullets began whistling uncomfortably close. “We’ll give them a taste of their own medicine.” He drew his revolver, as did the others, and they emptied them in the direction of the pursuing Mexicans. Yells and cries of pain came from the raiders, and the boys knew that their bullets had found a mark. The pursuers hesitated, and taking advantage of this momentary respite, the boys plunged forward again.

They knew that they must be close to their plane by this time, but now the bandits, only momentarily checked, had resumed the pursuit, urged on by the cries of their leader. By the time the little party reached the plane, the Mexicans were close at their heels, and had they not been such poor marksmen the Americans would have had little chance of escape. Bullets clipped the bushes on every side of them, for the moon lit up the clearing where they had left the plane so that it was almost as bright as day.

Phil and Dick caught up the girls, and raced across the clearing to the plane. They had barely reached it, when the bandits came swarming out of the forest, yelling and cursing.

“Quick, fellows!” exclaimed Phil, “Spin the propeller, Tom, and you get the girls in, Dick. If the engine balks, we’re done for.”

But in this time of deadly peril the aeroplane responded nobly. At the first whirl of the propeller the engine took hold with a roar, and Tom leaped for the fuselage as the aeroplane started to move. The Mexicans were daunted a moment by the noise of the engine, but then, urged on by their leader, they rushed forward again.

The aeroplane was headed toward them, gathering speed with every turn of the powerful propeller. The bandits scattered to either side, but as the aeroplane left the ground, one, more courageous than his companions, leaped for the fuselage. He knew nothing of that powerful propeller, backed up by the might of six roaring cylinders. As he leaped the whirling blades caught him fair, and sheared his head from his shoulders.

The shock was hardly felt in the plane, but Phil glanced over the side, and as he saw the headless trunk drop to the ground, he shuddered. He knew that the rascal deserved his fate, however, and wasted little sympathy on him. Other things occupied his mind, for they were still in danger, as the bandits fired a fusillade after them, some of the bullets even tearing through the wings. But the powerful machine was ascending at the rate of seven hundred feet a minute, and they were soon far beyond the reach of their baffled enemies.

Phil switched on the little lights over the instruments, and when he had attained a height of a thousand feet, set out for the Ranger’s camp at a speed of ninety miles an hour.

“You’d better send them a radio that we’re coming,” yelled Phil to Dick, “it will help us to land if they show some flares.”

“All right,” nodded Dick, and started clicking at his key. He knew that Steve would probably be at his instrument, waiting for some news from them, nor was he mistaken. Hardly had he finished sending Steve’s call when he got a reply, and then for fifteen minutes the man on the ground and the one a thousand feet up in the dark night exchanged questions and answers almost as readily as though they had both been seated in the same room.