Chapter XVIII: A Slippery Customer

The Rio Grande makes a long bend where the boys left it, and almost returns upon itself after winding in and out for many miles. The land is swampy in places as the river approaches Painted Cave, but mountains show, too, and the country is without any population to speak of. Its general features are rugged.

As the lads alternated between rocky soil and swamp, they had little leisure for conversation. It took about all their strength and agility to make their way, leaping, now, over pools of water, now climbing over rocky elevations.

The Southern Pacific runs close to the river here, and the boys could hear the trains moving along the line, on the American side. Now and then they caught sight of moving cars.

"I'm pretty nearly all in," Jule complained, as they halted on a dry elevation to catch their breath. "I don't suppose we could have chosen a rougher country than this if we had looked for a thousand years! It's fierce!"

"Oh, it's good enough--for a mountain-climbing goat!" Alex answered, wrinkling his nose. "What do you think about our being able to catch that boat?"

"I give it up!" Jule said, beginning to whistle.

He broke off after a minute and remarked:

"In the light of recent developments, what do you think of the situation? Clay and Case are true as steel, and, between them, they ought to be able to put Thede and Paul on their backs, especially as the latter has a broken leg!"

"What's got into you?" demanded Alex. "You talk like Case! And Case in his bluest moments! I've not given up yet. Thede and Paul are all right! I'll bank on it!"

Jule laughed heartily.

"So will I!" he said. "I'll bank on it, too! If there is any mischief afloat, they are not in it. Only, I wish they would come out into the open, and tell us frankly what it is they are up to. It seems to me that that would be the honorable way."

"Let's not pass judgment until we know all about it," replied Alex, taking up the string of fish and going on again.

The way was even rougher than before, now, and the lads were soon obliged to stop for a breathing spell. In the distance they now could see the Rio Grande, shimmering under the setting sun.

"We've got to make better time if we connect with the _Rambler_ before night sets in," Jule said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "If there ever was a rockier road than this, we have never found it I think we would better dump the fish. They are a good deal of a burden to carry."

"There they go!" Alex exclaimed, suiting action to the word, and tossing the fish down a rocky incline. "I wish we had some of them cooked! I'm so hungry that I could eat two pirates!"

"Well, here we go, in light marching order!" volunteered Jule. "If you get there before I do, just tell 'em I'm a-coming!"

The boy hummed the words of the old song over to himself, and assumed a cheerfulness he did not feel. It was fast growing dark, and the way was rocky, with pools of river water in places where the rocks pushed back from the shore.

And so, the lads pressed forward, with Jule still humming his tune and Alex laughing himself red in the face at thought of the plight they were in.

"Might as well laugh as cry," was his comment on the situation.

At last they came to smoother ground, with the river showing under the setting sun, and paused to study the scene.

Directly their glances, following the windings of the stream, came upon the _Esmeralda_! They regarded each other with eyes which asked many questions but found no answer.

"How did that boat get here?" asked Alex. "We left her far up the river."

"Don't ask me!" was the reply.

"Well," continued Alex, "it's up to us to find out!"

The boat lay rocking in the river only a short distance from where the boys had halted. The prow light was on, and the craft gave other indications of occupancy, so the theory that she had broken loose and drifted to where she lay was not to be thought of.

The motor boat lay close to the right bank of the stream, and the question how she got there could not be easily answered, so the lads made haste to gain the little landing where she was tied.

The Rio Grande is a very shallow stream, often spreading out over a large stretch of country. Indeed, it is navigable for boats of medium size only below the city of Matamoros.

Therefore Alex and Jule were obliged to wade out to the boat when they came opposite her. Their first sight of the deck was rather a surprise.

Instead of showing excitement, it was calm as a morning in May. Buck sat on the railing of the craft, with his back toward the shore, pointing out the beauties of the landscape to Rube, who was standing not far away.

They both turned face about when the noise made by the boys in climbing to the deck attracted their attention, and advanced to meet them with hands extended.

"This sure is a sight good for sore eyes!" cried Rube, and the greeting of Buck was not less friendly.

"Now, will you explain just how the _Esmeralda_ come to be here?" Jule said, after greetings had been exchanged. "We left her a long way upstream."

"And how is it that we find you here, out of reach of the _Rambler_, and walking across country?" asked Buck.

"That's just the point," Alex answered grimly, "we haven't seen the _Rambler_ for several hours, and are walking across country to try and head her off!"

The boy thought he saw a quick glance of understanding pass from Rube to Buck, but he could not be certain.

Then he explained about the fishing trip and the flight of the motor boat. Rube and Buck listened attentively, but with the air of men who had heard all that story before.

"And so," Buck said, at the completion of the narration, "you want to catch the _Rambler_?"

"That's precisely the idea," answered Jule. "But you haven't told us yet why you are here. You must have passed us on some dark night, when there was no one on watch."

"You are taking it for granted that the _Rambler_ has been passed," laughed Buck.

"Well, has she?" questioned Alex.

"Yes, she has, and under the most peculiar circumstances," was Buck's reply. "She had another visit from the man who left the 'To the Death' written on her rowboat."

"But I don't understand," exclaimed Jule. "How did he overtake us, and why did he run away?"

"Perhaps your curiosity will be satisfied before the end of the trip," Buck replied, significantly. "By the way, here comes the motor boat we were speaking of."

As he spoke he pointed to the _Rambler_, already drawing up to the _Esmeralda_.

"Do they know about our crossing the point to come out ahead of them?" asked Alex. "If they don't I'll give them a surprise."

"Go to it, then," laughed Buck.

Both boys hid under the rail of the boat and waited for the crew of the _Rambler_ to speak. Both boys were giggling at the thought of the joke they had on the other boys.

"Boat ahoy!" came the call.

"Boat ahoy yourself!" was the answer.

"Come aboard!" cried Buck. "I have something I want to show you. It's a peach!"

"Not a really, truly peach?" demanded Case's voice.

"You'll see what it is when you come on board," replied Rube with a chuckle.

The boat drew up alongside and both Case and Thede crossed over to the deck of the _Esmeralda_. Then Alex and Jule sprang out and seized them.

At the termination of a friendly struggle, when all four were out of breath, the surgeon held Jule off at arm's length and claimed to be inspecting him with great gravity.

"You're the boy," he finally said, "who went out to catch fish for starving men! Give an account of yourself!"

"Oh, the explanations ought to come from your own side!" said Jule, struggling to get away. "We didn't sail away and leave you."

"So that's it, is it?" laughed Thede. "Well, under the circumstances, you are forgiven, but don't do it again!"

"What about this desertion of us on the rolling deep?" asked Alex. "You've got to square that, you know!"

"Well, then, here goes!" replied Case, his face taking on a serious expression, "as soon as you boys got well out into the river, we felt the boat give a little dip to one side, but thought nothing of it. We must have been drifting an hour or more when we heard a rustling in the cabin, and Captain Joe, who had been growling at the side of the boat for the better part of half an hour, ever since he woke up, in fact, grew furious.

"Then he sprang through the open window which leads to the after deck and disappeared in the river. The jarring of the boat we had felt came from the impact of a human body against it! The dog had followed the intruder into the stream!"

"Did he get him?" asked Jule and Alex, in a breath.

"He did not," was the answer.

"Too bad!" Alex answered. "That dog isn't any good. If he had been he wouldn't have slept when the boat was invaded!"

"Is that all the story?" asked Jule.

"Well, we followed on after the fellow until we were around a bend in the river, and then came on, thinking that you boys would find us, never thinking that we should find you here," replied Case.

"What do you think that fellow means by following the _Rambler_?" asked Jule. "For no good purpose, I'm certain!"

"Did he leave any writing on the boat anywhere?" questioned Alex. "You know what he left the last time he paid us an unfriendly visit. I'd like pretty well to get him by the neck!" he added, with a tightening of the fists which boded no good to the fellow, whoever he might be.

"And now," Jule cut in, "will you kindly explain how those on this boat knew that the stranger had paid the _Rambler_ a visit on his way downstream. There is something mysterious about this whole business! Something I can't get to the bottom of!"

"And I'd like to know when you passed us!" said Case, looking at Rube.

The giant only grinned.

"Out with it!" the lad commanded.

"Well," was the reply, "I suppose I'll have to tell! When I said the _Rambler_ had been passed, I didn't mean that we had passed her in the original channel of the Rio Grande. We took a side channel!"

"A side channel!" exclaimed Jule. "We saw no side channels! Where is it?"

"Just above the route you boys followed there is an island. Didn't you notice it?"

"We thought it was nothing but a false alarm, leading nowhere," replied Jule.

"The channel is rather narrow, but the water is deep enough to take in a boat like the _Esmeralda_," was Rube's reply.

"Still, I can't see how that helps you out," continued Alex. "The island may be there, all right, but the island can't talk! It didn't tell you that the fellow had paid another visit to the _Rambler_, did it? Who did tell you?"

"He told me himself!"

"But how did he tell you, and where?" demanded Alex. "You are getting me all balled up!"

"Well," replied Rube, with a grin, "we drew aside in the channel I've been telling you about, thinking to catch some fish for dinner. You see we had the fish idea, too! The _Rambler_ was ahead of us at that time, but we knew of the island channel and thought we could come out in the main channel just a little ahead of her."

"Which you did!" cut in Case.

"Exactly!" was the reply. "Just as the _Rambler_ passed the mouth of the channel, you boys were launching the rowboat!"

"You fellows must have had a late dinner!" commented Alex.

"Not so awfully late!" Rube replied. "You boys took more time fishing than you realized. Well, while we were hidden in the entrance to the channel we saw a man leave the _Rambler_ and strike out for shore.

"We were lucky enough to intercept him when he was nearly exhausted with his swimming, and so we've got a surprise for you!"

In the meantime Clay had been helped over to the deck of the _Esmeralda_, and was investigating the cabin. He was still very lame from his wound, his left arm being in a sling, but was on the road to recovery.

Captain Joe, too, came on board, and was promptly forgiven by Alex. He patted the dog's head and said to him:

"I know that you are an old sleepy-head, but you're a darling just the same!"

And Captain Joe nodded his head, just as if he understood all the boy said.

At that moment Clay appeared in the doorway of the cabin. He was greeted with looks of inquiry by both Rube and Buck.

"Did you find him?" Buck asked.

"Find him?" repeated the boy. "Who is there to find? I discovered only a badly mussed cabin.

What's been going on in there? Looks like a tornado had passed through it. You must have been having quite a merry time on board."

Both Rube and Buck sprang for the cabin.

"What's doing?" asked the astonished Alex. "Has everybody gone daffy, or have Rube and Buck discovered an oil well in the bottom of the boat?" The boys hastened to enter the cabin, where they found Rube and Buck bending over a broken strap.

"Now, what do you know about that?" the former was asking.

Buck shook his head, looking very much disgruntled.