They are looking for mounted men--if they're
looking at all--and not for crawling boys."

The old trooper was right, and ten minutes later Adrian returned
to say that there was a small body of horsemen at the next turn
of the road.

"Did you see anything of Don?" queried Billie.

"Not a sign."

"That's mighty funny. Where do you suppose he can be?"

"He may be hiding back in the woods, just as we are."

"Well," said the corporal, "now that we know where the greasers
are, what's the matter of going forward?"

"No matter at all," replied Adrian. "We can easily bear away to
the left and give them the shake, but I don't know what to do
about the others."

"The others will have to look out for themselves," replied
Brooks. "They are able to do it."

The words had hardly left his lips ere there came the sound of a
single shot away to the left.

"There they are!" cried Billie. "Come on!"

The little cavalcade started forward, but ere they had gone a
dozen rods they could hear the sound of approaching horsemen,
crashing through the woods to their right.

"The Mexicans!" said Adrian.

"To cover, every man!" cried the corporal.

A minute later every horse lay flat on the ground with his rider
concealed behind him.

CHAPTER XXIII.

A DINNER AND ITS RESULT.

With a shout the Mexicans broke into the clearing which the
Americans had just left. They were a motley crowd, not much like
the cavalry that forms such a great part of Uncle Sam's army.

"It seems a shame to hurt them," muttered the corporal. "They
look as though they would run if you said boo!"

Seeing no one, the Mexicans, some twenty or twenty-five in
number, came to a halt and their leaders held a council of war.

The Americans, a couple of rods back in the woods, partly
concealed by the trees and partly by the deepening twilight,
watched them silently.

After a couple of minutes' confab, the captain of the band gave
an order which the boys could not hear and a couple of Mexicans
dismounted and began carefully to examine the ground. They were
looking for the prints of horses' hoofs.

"_Aqui'sta!_" exclaimed one of the men on foot, pointing to the
ground.

The captain drew near and leaned over from his horse to see more
clearly.

He was evidently satisfied, for he straightened up and gave
another command and the two horsemen sprang to their saddles.

Another command and every man's sabre flashed in the air.

Raising his own sabre