CHAPTER XVI.--THE GIRLS SEE A BATTLE.

As Shirley and Mabel, from their shelter among the branches, peered across the plain, they saw puffs of smoke issue from the now kneeling body of men. Sharp reports came to their ears. The only man still standing erect, as they could see plainly, was President Garcia, who, with upraised sword, was directing the movement of his men.

A man dropped his rifle and fell to the ground, and Mabel shrieked.

"My goodness!" she exclaimed a moment later. "This is terrible, Shirley!"

Shirley's lips were compressed, and for a moment she turned her eyes away.

The firing became louder now, and for the first time the girls noticed that President Garcia and his men were retreating toward them.

"We had better get down out of here!" exclaimed Mabel. "We may be struck."

Shirley agreed, and they were about to descend, when, from behind them, came rapid footsteps, indicating the approach of a considerable number of men. Shirley and Mabel became silent.

A moment later a score of dark-visaged Nicaraguans, with rifles ready for instant use, appeared and took up their position at the edge of the little woods, several of them falling flat under the very tree in which the two girls were perched.

Mabel uttered an exclamation as the first volley was fired by these newcomers. In spite of the fact that she was prepared for it, the sharp reports of the weapons had wrung a cry of surprise from her. Shirley, more calm, uttered no sound.

The girls could now see that the men beneath them were a part of President Garcia's force, for they were shooting over the heads of their companions, apparently in an effort to cover the retreat of the main body.

The latter now retreated more rapidly and at length joined forces with the men beneath the trees. Shirley and Mabel could hear their conversation plainly, but as it was carried on in Spanish, they could not make out the trend of it.

For perhaps fifteen minutes President Garcia's men held their position, firing at the enemy from the shelter of the trees.

The plight of the two girls was much more serious than either realized, for a chance bullet was likely to hit one of them at any moment. And yet they felt safer in the tree than they would have felt among the soldiers on the ground.

So far the enemy had contented themselves with lying flat on the ground some distance away and firing at the trees, but now, as Shirley perceived by peering across the plain, they were preparing for a charge.

A moment later there was a wild yell, and they came forward on the run. They spread out as they came on, and here and there a man fell over, struck down by a rifle bullet.

In spite of their great danger both girls became lost in wonder at the sight, and stared ahead with straining eyes. Shirley was brought to herself by the sound of something buzzing past her head. She knew in a moment what is was.

"Mabel!" she cried. "Climb as high as you can or we shall be shot!"

She scrambled higher up among the branches, and Mabel followed suit.

Here no bullets flew past them, and looking down they saw that President Garcia was ordering his men to retreat.

The government troops disappeared further back in the woods, and now the danger came from their bullets rather than from those of the enemy. The girls were in a ticklish situation and they were fully alive to their peril.

The enemy pushed further into the woods, pursuing the government troops. The bullets flew less thick, the sound of firing became fainter and fainter, and then died away in the distance.

Shirley roused herself from the trance in which she seemed to have fallen.

"Come, Mabel," she said. "Let's get down and get back to the ship before some of them come back."

Mabel was nothing loath, and quickly the girls slid to the ground and advanced to the edge of the clearing. Here they stopped for a moment, looking about them.

Several figures were sprawled about on the ground. The girls shuddered.

"It is terrible," said Shirley.

"Don't look at them," urged Mabel. "Let's run."

But as they were about to take to their heels, they were startled by the sound of a voice directly behind them.

"Ha!" it said.

The girls wheeled in their tracks to confront a man with rifle levelled directly at them. A cry of fear was rung from Mabel's lips, but Shirley said nothing.

The man advanced and the girls shrank back. A torrent of words poured from the man's lips, but it was absolutely unintelligible to either of the girls.

Shirley made a gesture, indicating that they did not understand, and the man said:

"Americanos?"

"Yes," replied Shirley. "Do you speak English?"

"Si!" replied the man, "a leetle!"

"We want to go away," said Shirley eagerly. "We belong on the ship in the harbor."

"No! Stay here. General Orizaba will return soon," said the man in broken English.

Shirley started to protest, but the man made a threatening gesture with his rifle.

The two girls looked at each other in dismay.

"Out of the frying pan into the fire, Mabel," declared Shirley. "I guess we shall have to stay."

There was apparently no help for it. They sat down upon the grass to await the arrival of General Orizaba, who, they rightly guessed, was the commander of the revolutionary forces.

Their captor stood vigilant guard. Apparently he was determined to allow them no chance to escape. He sat some distance away, with his rifle across his knees. The two girls settled themselves with their backs to a large tree, and made themselves as comfortable as they could under the circumstances.

There was a snapping of a twig behind them, and Shirley glanced about uneasily.

"S-s-h-h," came a low voice. "Keep still and show no surprise."

Both girls recognized the voice in an instant.

They maintained their composure well, and spoke only to each other.

"It's Dick!" whispered Shirley.

"I know it," replied Mabel.

"Then we are safe."

The girls' guard now put an end to their conversation. Rising he approached them and commanded:

"Silence!"

He did not hear soft footsteps passing beyond him, nor did he turn in time to see a figure leap from behind a tree and spring at him. The first he realized of his danger was when a pair of strong arms went round him, and he was hurled violently to the ground, his rifle flying from his hands.

"Get the rifle, Shirley!" called Dick, as he and his opponent struggled for mastery.

Shirley leaped forward, stopped, and when she arose she held the rifle.

For a moment she considered the advisability of advancing and lending Dick a hand, then concluded that he was more than a match for the Nicaraguan. Besides, the figures were locked in such close embrace that she couldn't have aided Dick if she would.

Now Dick succeeded in shaking off the grip of his opponent, and sprang to his feet. The Nicaraguan did likewise, and sprang back.

As Dick leaped forward again, the man's hand went to his holster, and a revolver flashed in his hand.

But before he could bring the weapon to bear, Shirley stepped quickly forward, levelled her rifle at him, and in a clear sharp voice, cried:

"Halt!"

The man wheeled quickly and as he did so, Dick sprang upon him from behind. A quick blow sent the revolver hurling several feet away, and then Dick stepped back to give free play to his boxing skill.

The Nicaraguan rushed at him, but Dick stepped lightly aside, and as the man went by, carried on by the impetus of his rush, Dick struck out straight and true from the shoulder.

The Nicaraguan crumpled up in a heap on the ground.

Shirley and Mabel ran quickly to Dick's side.

"Are you hurt, Dick?" asked Shirley anxiously.

"No!" was the smiling rejoinder, "but I would have been if you had not been prompt with that rifle. That's all that saved me."

"How did you find us?" asked Mabel.

"Followed you. We became alarmed at your absence and I said I thought I could find you. I imagined you had gone for a stroll, and when I saw this bunch of pirates going through the town I guessed that you would fall into their hands. I came along after them and just as I was about to go on I saw you climbing down from the tree."

"Well, you didn't arrive a minute too soon," declared Shirley. "We were badly frightened, weren't we Mabel?"

"I know I was," was her chum's reply. She turned to Dick. "But how----"

"I'll explain later," interrupted Dick. "The thing to do now is to get away from here before they return. Come on."

The girls started on ahead of him, and Dick turned for a glance over his shoulder.

Then he uttered an exclamation of alarm, and shouted:

"Run!"

For in that quick glance over his shoulder he had perceived the return of the revolutionists.