sh
you."

He held the knife before the man's eyes. Then with the knife in
one hand, Adrian pulled the wad of grass from between the
prisoner's teeth.

No sooner had the man drawn one long breath than he let out a
yell that might have been heard half a mile and which he was
about to repeat with variations, when with a swift movement,
Adrian forced the grass back into his mouth and the yell died in
a dismal gurgle.

"I ought to use the knife," said Adrian, "but I guess this will
do."

With a bound he sprang to his feet and dashed to where Donald was
already performing his part of the work.

The plan had worked exactly as Adrian had figured, and in another
moment the boys were astride the horses and away toward Vera
Cruz.

But one thing they had not taken into consideration. That single
yell of their erstwhile prisoner had aroused the Mexican pickets
and from half a dozen directions came the sound of rifle shots
and then the sound of a bugle calling to arms.

Even while Adrian was running toward the horses, the excitement
had begun, and as the boys started on their homeward ride, a
volley from the encamped forces sent the bullets whistling by
their ears.

"This is no place for us!" cried Donald. "Don't be afraid to use
the spur. It is our only chance."

And now as they rode furiously forward, came the sound of firing
on their left and some distance ahead.

"What does it mean?" called out Adrian as they rode neck and neck
through the darkness.

"Search me, Ad; but our only chance is in our horses," and Donald
again plied the spur.

Outlined against the sky at the top of a small knoll, they could
see a small body of horsemen.

"Keep away to the right," said Donald. "Keep in the valley and in
the shadow," and he drew off the beaten highway, with Adrian
close behind.

On the soft earth their horses' hoofs made no sound and in a
couple of minutes more they descended into a little valley and
the noise of the alarm passed out of hearing.

"It was a mighty close shave," declared Adrian a few minutes
later, when they pulled their horses down to a walk to allow them
to catch their breath.

"Sure was," from Donald, "but we got the information we went
after."

Half an hour later they were challenged by the American pickets,
which had been thrown even further forward than where the boys
had passed through the lines. They stated their mission and were
at once sent under guard to the officer of the day.

"O