ke ten picked men, and don't let any one in or out till I return.
I shall be back before daybreak. I shall amuse myself to-day with
thinking how I shall try the nerves of these Americanos. I can promise
you all a handsome amusement of some sort, anyhow." And he rode off.

'I have often faced death, and ain't afraid of it; but the unruffled
face and the cruel smile of that man made my flesh creep on my bones, as
I thought of what Rube and I had got to go through the next day. And
now,' Seth said, breaking off, 'it's getting late, and I haven't talked
such a heap for years. I will finish my yarn another night.'

Very warm were the young Hardys in their thanks to Seth for this
exciting story from his own experience, and great was the discussion
among themselves that arose as to how the two Americans could possibly
have made their escape from their terrible predicament.

CHAPTER VII.

SETH CONTINUES HIS NARRATIVE OF THE MEXICAN ADVENTURE.

The next evening the young Hardys again took their seats by Seth, and,
without any delay, he went on with his story.

'After El Zeres had ridden off, the lieutenant, Pedro, selected ten from
the men around,--for pretty well the whole camp had gathered round
us,--and told them, in the first place, to clear the house of the
hammock and other belongings of El Zeres, and when this was done, to
carry Rube in. Bound and helpless as he was, there was a visible
repugnance on the part of the men to touch him, so great was the fear
which his tremendous strength had excited. However, six of them took him
up and carried him into the hut--for it was little more--and threw him
down like a log in the inner room. I walked in of my own accord, and sat
down on the ground near him. I heard Pedro give orders to some of the
men outside to take away the dead bodies and bury them, and for the
rest to go down to their camp fires. Then he entered the house with his
other four men.

'The house was just the ordinary Mexican hut. It contained two rooms, or
rather, one room partially divided into two, the inner compartment
forming the sleeping-room of the family. There was no door between the
rooms, nor was there any window; the light entering through the wide
opening into the outer room. The outer room had no regular windows, only
some chinks or loopholes, through which a certain amount of light could
come; but these were stopped up with straw, for the Mexicans are a
chilly people; and as the door was