CHAPTER XXVI.

THE ESCAPE OF MAXIMINA.

Several hours passed. Bob was beginning to think Maximina had forgotten her promise, when he heard a soft footstep outside. Then came a gentle tapping at his door. It was unlocked from the outside, opened, and the Mexican girl stepped in.

"Hush!" she whispered. "We go now. All bad mans gone to feast--holiday. We go. Put on cloak."

She gave Bob a long, dark serape, and produced one for herself. Little time was lost. Led by Maximina, Bob passed out into the dark corridor, down the stairs and through the courtyard, out of the house, under the silent stars that twinkled in the sky.

"This way!" whispered the girl. "We ride ponies. No one here, we take horses. Where you live?"

Bob was at a loss what to do. He wondered how he could make Maximina, whose language he could not speak, and who could talk but imperfectly in his, understand about the underground city. Equally hard would it be to make her comprehend where he lived and how to start for the nearest large city in order to get help or communicate with his friends.

He remembered that his captors had brought him almost directly north as they sped away from the buried city. So he thought the best thing to do would be to ride to the south, when he might see some landmark that would aid him in locating himself.

"We'll go this way," he said, pointing in a direction opposite to that of the north star, which he saw blazing in the sky.

"All right," exclaimed the Mexican girl. She leaped to the back of one of two ponies she had brought from the stable. Bob was not so expert, but managed to get into the saddle.

So far they had met no one, nor had they heard the sound of any of the Mexicans. As Maximina had said, all of the men were away to a feast, one of the numerous ones celebrated in the country. Even Noddy and his friends had gone, so there was no one left to guard Bob but the girl.

Away they rode, urging their ponies to a gallop. Bob was fearful that at every turn of the road he would meet with some of Vasco's men, but the highway appeared to be deserted.

"Me glad to go. Bad mans steal Maximina years ago," said the girl, after half an hour's ride. "Me want to get back to own people."

"I wish I could help you," said Bob, "but I'm about as badly off as you are. The Mexicans stole me, too."

"We both same, like orphans," said Maximina. "Never min'. Maybe we find our folks."

By degrees she brokenly told Bob her story, how she had been kidnapped by Vasco when she was a child, and how he had kept her because her father was too poor to pay the ransom demanded. She had gradually come to be regarded as a regular inmate of the Mexican camp, which, it seemed, was an organized headquarters for kidnappers and brigands generally.

She had never thought of escaping before, she said, but when she saw Bob she felt sorry for him and resolved to free not only him, but herself.

"We ride faster," she said, after several miles had been covered. "Gettin' late. Men come back from feast find us gone, they ride after."

She urged her pony to a gallop and Bob's animal followed its leader.

"If I only had a revolver or a gun I'd shoot some of them if they tried to take us back," Bob said to himself. "I hope we can get away."

In a small village, about ten miles from the camp of the Mexicans, Vasco and his friends were having a great time. There were wild music and dancing, and plenty of food well seasoned with red pepper. The Mexicans were having what they called fun.

Noddy, with Jack and Bill Berry, looked on, taking no part in the revels. They had come over in the automobile, while Vasco and his gang rode their horses.

It was past midnight when the leader of the Mexicans decided that it was time to start for home.

"Come on," he said. "Who knows but what our prisoner has escaped."

"Not much danger of that," said Dalsett. "I told Maximina that if he got away we'd hold her responsible and give her a good lashing. She'll not let him get away."

But neither Dalsett nor Vasco knew what they were talking about. The Mexicans were reluctant to leave the dance, but Vasco insisted. Soon the whole party was riding back to camp, Noddy being in advance in his auto.

He was the first to reach the kidnappers' headquarters. Dalsett was with him.

"I wonder how our captive is?" said the latter.

He went up to the room where Bob had been locked up. To his surprise and anger, the apartment was empty.

"Maximina!" he called.

There was no answer.

"They've gone!" he exclaimed. "Here, Noddy, ride back and meet Vasco. Tell him Bob has got away!"

The automobile was sent flying down the road. Vasco Bilette and his party were met and the news quickly imparted.

"We'll catch 'em!" cried the Mexican. "They have only a few hours' start, and only two slow ponies to ride on. Here, I'll go in the auto with Noddy. You fellows come after me!"

Vasco took Jack Pender's place in the machine and soon the chase was on. Vasco rightly concluded that Bob and Maximina would head for the south, so he, too, took the road leading in that direction.

Noddy speeded up the car, under Vasco's directions. Faster and faster it raced, the searchlight throwing out a glaring beam far in advance.

Meanwhile, Bob and Maximina were making all speed possible. Every now and then the girl would halt her pony and listen intently.

"They no come yet," she would say. "No can hear horses comin' after us. We get 'way maybe."

Bob certainly hoped so. His experience as a captive was not such as to cause him to like the rôle, and he longed to be with his friends, who, he knew, must be greatly alarmed about him.

It seemed to be getting darker as the two traveled on.

"Be sunrise 'bout hour," said Maximina, and Bob remembered that he had read about it being darkest just before daybreak. "We mus' hide then," the girl went on.

Suddenly a sound came to them from over the dark fields that bordered the road. At the same time there was a shaft of light.

"There they come!" cried Bob. "They're after us in the automobile!"

"Ride! Ride fast!" called Maximina, fiercely. "If they catch us they kill!"

She lashed her pony with the short whip she carried, and struck Bob's animal several smart blows. The two beasts leaped forward.

But horses, especially small, Mexican ponies, are not built to race against large touring automobiles. Bob noticed that the chug-chug of Noddy's machine came nearer and nearer.

"Maybe we can hide from them in the darkness," said Bob. "It's our only chance. They'll soon be up to us."

"No hide! Keep on ride!" exclaimed Maximina. "We git away!"

But even as she spoke the searchlight picked them up and they were revealed in its blinding glare. A faint shout from their pursuers told that they had been seen.

The ponies were tiring. Already Bob's was staggering along as the pace told on it. Maximina's was a little better off.

"We have them!" Bob heard Vasco shout. "They are both together. Put a little more speed on, Noddy!"

The chug-chugs of the auto told that the machine was being sent ahead at a faster clip. The searchlight glared more strongly on the fugitives.

"Cave somewhere near here," said Maximina. "If we could find 'um we be safe. Ride more, Bob."

"This pony can't go much farther," replied the boy. "His legs are shaking now."

Crack!

A flash of reddish fire cut the blackness, and a bullet sang unpleasantly close over Bob's head.

"They only shoot to scare!" cried Maximina. "They no want to kill you. Too valuable. Want ransom; much money; ten thousand dollars."

"All the same, it's no fun to be shot at," remarked Bob, urging his pony on.

The automobile was now but a few hundred feet away. Noddy had to reduce his speed because the ground was getting rougher.

"We'll have them in another minute!" cried Vasco.

At that instant, Bob's pony, stepping in a hole, stumbled and fell, throwing the rider over its back. Bob struck the ground heavily and was stunned.

"Me stay with you!" exclaimed Maximina, reining in her pony and coming back to where Bob was.

"No, no! You ride on!" the boy said, faintly. "Maybe you can find my friends and send help. They are in the underground city!"

"All right. Me go! Bring help!" the girl whispered, and, leaping on her pony's back, she rode off to one side, getting away from the glare of the searchlight and so escaping observation.

Two minutes later the auto came up to where Bob was stretched out on the ground. Vasco leaped out before the machine had fairly stopped and made a grab for Bob.

"The boy is dead!" he exclaimed.

"Dead!" faltered Noddy. He was beginning to be alarmed over the part he had played.

"Bring a light here!" commanded the Mexican.

Noddy turned the search-lamp on Bob's prostrate form. At that the boy opened his eyes. He had fainted from pain caused by his fall.

"Shamming, eh?" sneered Vasco, striking Bob a blow with a rope he carried. "Get up, now! No nonsense; you've made trouble enough!"

Poor Bob was too discouraged and felt too bad to reply. The other Mexicans rode up. In a few minutes the captive was securely bound, lifted into the auto, and, as dawn broke, the start back to camp was made.

"Don't you want Maximina?" asked Dalsett.

"Let her go," replied Vasco. "She was only a bother around, and never liked to work. She can't do any harm."