nd, after calling down
blessings on their heads, he quickly slipped away and disappeared.

"Now we'll hustle right along," said the Westerner. "We'll put a good
long stretch between ourselves an' Huejugilla el Alto before mornin'.
We're off, bound straight inter ther mountains----"

"And straight for the Silver Palace," added Frank.

CHAPTER X.

THE STRANGER.

They were fortunate in getting away without being seen by any of the
bandits, and at dawn they were well up into the mountains, where
Bushnell found a secluded place for them to camp and rest, as rest was
something of which they all sorely stood in need.

Bushnell prepared breakfast, and Frank insisted that Professor Scotch
should explain how he escaped from Pacheco's gang.

"Don't ask me," sighed the little man, fondling his red whiskers. "I
can't explain it--really I can't."

"Why not?"

"Well, you see, I don't know how I happened to do it. They forced me to
write that letter against my will, two of them standing over me with
drawn daggers while I was writing, and prodding me a bit whenever I
refused to put down the words Pacheco ordered written."

"Then Pacheco speaks English?"

"As well as I do."

"What does he look like?"

"I don't know."

"How is that?"

"He kept his face concealed with his serape quite up to his eyes."

"Thar's a mystery about Pacheco," broke in Bushnell. "No one seems ter
know jest what ther varmint looks like."

"Go on, professor," urged Frank; "tell us just how you escaped."

"I tell you I do not know myself. All I know is that they tied me to a
horse, and brought me across a plain of burning sand, where I nearly
perished for want of water, and was nearly sawed in two by the backbone
of the horse I rode. I believed it was a case of gone goose with me. At
last they camped in a wild spot, and I was so badly used up that I could
scarcely eat or do anything but lay around and groan. They seemed to
think there was no need of watching me very closely, and I noticed that
I was alone sometimes. Then, feeling utterly reckless, I began to watch
for a chance to sneak away. I didn't care if I were shot, or if I
escaped and perished from hunger and thirst. I was bound to make the
attempt. Last night I made it. A saddleless horse strayed along where I
was, and I made a jump for the animal. Before they knew what I was
doing, I was on the beast's back and yelling into its ears like a
maniac. The horse scooted out of the c