CHAPTER XXX

Rounding up “Muggs” Murray

In an instant the camp was in pandemonium. Revolvers cracked and bullets whizzed and bandits and Rangers were at death grips. The Mexicans grasped their arms, and under the threats and curses of Espato tried to rally. They were fully equal in number to the Rangers, but far inferior in stamina and courage, and were steadily driven back to the edge of the plateau.

Dick and Tom were in the van of the charge, and after the first volley they rushed to the tree where Phil was bound. A slash of their knives cut the ropes, and then they threw their arms about their comrade and fairly hugged him in the exuberance of their delight.

Phil was quite as incoherent in his rapture as they, but the fight was on and all were eager to join in the fray.

“Rub my arms and legs, fellows, and get the blood into them,” cried Phil, “and then give me a gun. I’ve got a score to settle with Espato.”

They set to work, and in a minute or two Phil was ready for action. They gave him a Colt’s, and all three ran in the direction of the melee.

But by this time the fight was nearly over. Many of the Mexicans had fallen, and others as they neared the edge of the frightful precipice had thrown down their arms and surrendered.

Espato himself was on the very edge of the cliff engaged in a desperate knife contest with an antagonist. As the boys rushed toward him, Phil gave a gasp of surprise as he saw that that antagonist was Tony.

At the same moment Tony’s knife found its mark and was buried to the haft in Espato’s breast.

With a wild scream the scoundrel toppled over the cliff. Shriek followed shriek as he whirled over in that appalling flight. Then came a crash and—silence.

Tony wiped his knife on his shirt and thrust it back in its sheath.

“For my father,” he muttered, as he walked back toward the Rangers with his hands uplifted in token of surrender.

A few more scattering shots and the fight was ended. The surviving members of the band were disarmed and placed in the center of the camp under guard. Several of the Rangers had been wounded but not seriously, for the Mexicans, indifferent marksmen at the best, had shot even more wildly than usual owing to the completeness of the surprise.

After everything had been attended to, Captain Bradley had time to congratulate Phil and to receive the warm thanks of the latter for having come to his help in his sore extremity.

“That’s all right,” smiled the captain. “I’m only glad that we got here in time. You surely had a close call. It was the radio that saved you.”

“Radio and you combined,” replied Phil, “and it proved a strong combination. I want to ask one more favor of you Captain,” he continued, “and that is to let two of your prisoners go.”

He pointed toward Tony and Juanita, the latter of whom was sitting in a group of the women, her dark eyes filled with fright.

He briefly related how he owed his life to them and the Captain nodded sympathetically.

“Of course, I’ll let them go,” he answered. “As a matter of fact,” he continued, “I don’t see how I’m going to take any prisoners back with me. You see this whole thing is rather irregular”—he smiled whimsically—“as we technically have no right to invade Mexican territory, even though we’re doing a service to civilization in wiping out this den of rattlesnakes. It might stir up a row at Washington, even though Washington at heart might be glad we did it. We Texans don’t care much for red tape ourselves, but there’s no use in embarrassing the Government. Espato and his lieutenant are dead, and the rest of these rascals can drift away wherever they will. But I’ll give this Tony and Juanita, as you call them, a pair of horses and let them get a head start for fear some of these fellows may have it in for Tony because he killed Espato. The rest I’ll keep till tomorrow and then turn them loose.”

He was as good as his word and in a little while Tony and Juanita were started off, with fervent thanks from Phil and as much money in their pockets to start housekeeping with as the boys could scrape up between them.

The next morning the rest of the prisoners were released, after they had been given a stern warning by Captain Bradley that their lives wouldn’t be worth a moment’s purchase if they were ever again found on the other side of the Mexican border. Then the troop took up its march to Laguna, while Phil, Dick and Tom hovered over them with the plane.

The Radio Boys were in the highest spirits, and Phil was kept busy telling his companions all the details of his capture and imprisonment.

“It made me sore,” he said, “to have them nab me before I could get back to camp and give you the tip on the ‘Muggs’ Murray gang. We could have caught them dead to rights and rounded them up without any trouble.”

“That’s queer,” muttered Dick, who at the time was scanning the landscape with his glasses.

“What’s queer?” asked Phil and Tom in the same breath.

“That auto,” replied Dick, passing the glasses over to Phil. “You don’t see many of them in this forsaken country. And whoever’s at the wheel is driving like mad.”

“Coming as if the old boy were after them,” agreed Phil, focusing the glasses upon the machine. “From the direction of the border too. By the great horn spoon!” he shouted suddenly. “Do you know who’s in it? Muggs Murray and Rocks Gurney or I’m a Chinaman.”

“Go way,” exclaimed Tom unbelievingly.

“Sure as shooting,” persisted Phil. “The States must have got too hot for them and they’re making tracks into Mexico where they can’t be followed. Now’s our chance.”

With a great swoop he brought the plane to the ground and hurried up to Captain Bradley with the news. From the ground the car had not come into sight and was still several miles away.

A little way off was a clump of woodland through which ran the road along which the car was coming. A few sharp orders, and the troop of Rangers was deployed to the best advantage in the wood where they lay flat on the ground sheltered by the trees. To the casual eye there was no sign of life visible.

Soon the purring of the car was heard and before long the machine came dashing along at a high rate of speed. It stopped abruptly, however, at the sight of several huge rocks that had been rolled into the road by the Rangers.

With a muttered oath, the men who were in the car climbed out to remove the obstacles. And just then a volley of shots was fired into the air, and up about the fugitives rose, as if by magic, a swarm of men with leveled rifles.

There was a startled shout from the two rascals. Gurney—for Phil had guessed correctly—turned fairly green from fright and held up his hands promptly. But Murray was made of more desperate stuff and quick as lightning made a move to draw his weapon. Before he could get it, however, a half a dozen brawny hands had grasped him, and although he fought like a tiger he was soon overpowered, bound and thrown to the ground, where he lay still struggling to burst his bonds and hurling imprecations at his captors.

“The jig’s up, Murray,” said Phil, who had been foremost of those who had thrown themselves upon him. “Where’s that money you stole from the Castleton bank? Come across now.”

His only answer was an oath.

“We’ll search the car,” said Captain Bradley. “No doubt he’s brought his loot with him.”

Phil and Dick were delighted to do the searching, and in a moment there was a cry of delight from the latter, as he lifted up the rear seat of the car and discovered piles of bills bound together with strips that bore the initials of the cashier of the Castleton bank.

The money was counted by Captain Bradley while the Radio Boys looked on with feverish impatience.

“Thirty-eight thousand, five hundred and fifty dollars,” he announced at last. “That accounts for most of the forty thousand you say he stole. The rest I suppose he’s spent.”

“Thirty-eight thousand odd!” cried Dick in uncontrollable delight.

“Maybe we won’t have some good news to radio to Castleton tonight,” exclaimed Phil, equally as elated.

“Glory hallelujah!” shouted Tom, as he clapped his comrades on the back.

Murray and Gurney were hustled into the car under guard, one of the Rangers was placed at the wheel, the Radio Boys clambered into the _Arrow_ and the column took up its line of march.

If ever a plane carried light hearts, the _Arrow_ did that afternoon. The boys laughed, jested and chaffed each other and tasted to the full the sheer delight of living.

“Well,” sighed Phil blissfully, “if we were looking for adventure when we came here we sure have got our fill of it. We’ll never have such exciting times again as long as we live.”

But Phil was mistaken, as will be seen by those who read the following book of this series, entitled: “Radio Boys Under the Sea, or, the Hunt For the Sunken Treasure.”

Steve’s delight when he welcomed Phil on the arrival of the Rangers at Laguna that afternoon was beyond expression. He instantly radioed to Castleton the story of the recovery of the bank’s money, and the answer he received bore full testimony to the excitement and gratification caused by the news. “Muggs” Murray and Gurney were thrown into jail, there to await extradition and trial for their crimes.

That evening they all foregathered in Steve’s cabin, where once again Phil had to go over the story of his adventures while he was in Espato’s hands.

They sat till late, and then there came a moment of silence while each was busied with his own thoughts.

Phil was gazing with rapt interest at Steve’s radio set.

“Hope you’ll know it when you see it again,” chaffed Steve. “What’s the matter? Fallen in love with it?”

“Why shouldn’t I?” answered Phil. “Radio saved my life!”

THE END

End of Project Gutenberg's Radio Boys in the Flying Service, by J. W. Duffield