x feet from the string-piece of the pier.

"Squad, load!" ordered Hal sharply.

"Shoot if you dare!" challenged Guarez. "My friends and I are going
ashore." Then he addressed a few words in Spanish to his friends. The
words were so rapidly uttered that Overton could not understand them.

"Squad ready!" called Hal sternly. "Aim----"

To the ears of the Mexicans it sounded as though the word "fire"
trembled on the young officer's lips. Guarez led the wild rush into the
cabin.

Hal smiled. He had not had the least intention of firing upon the
Mexicans. His seeming firmness had been enough.

"Close the cabin doors on both sides, and guard 'em," Lieutenant Overton
directed. "Simms!"

"Yes, sir."

"Run back up the road and bring Check and Varnum, and their prisoners
here without delay."

"Very good, sir."

Simms measured the distance to the string-piece with accuracy, then he
made a leap and landed.

The engineer and fireman stood leaning out over the closed lower half of
the engine-room door.

"What do you want us to do, General?" demanded the engineer, with a
grin.

"Just stay where you are," Hal answered pleasantly. "Obey the
bell-signals and keep steam up, and I don't believe you'll run into any
hardship."

CHAPTER XV

TO OBEY ORDERS, OR NOT?

Private Simms soon returned, bringing with him Check and Varnum and the
two Mexican prisoners. The Mexicans were forced to join their kind in
the cabin, and Hal had two more soldiers to back his authority.

"Simms, hurry back to camp, looking out for the noose on the way. Report
to Captain Foster what you've seen here, and inform him, with my
compliments, that I await his further commands. This boat will wait at
some distance out in the stream."

Just before Hal gave these instructions, Captain Boggs had been directed
to run his boat back against the pier. Simms, saluting, stepped ashore
and went off at brisk stride.

"One bell ahead, Captain," ordered Lieutenant Hal, showing his face at
the wheel-house window.

"I don't know whether I'll do that or not," growled Boggs, filling a
short, black pipe and lighting the tobacco.

"You'll either obey orders, sir, or you'll go back into the cabin with
the Mexicans, and let your mate run the boat. If your mate refuses he'll
join in the cabin and I'll do the best I can with the boat myself. Now,
sir, are you going to obey orders?"

"Where do you want to go?" growled the riverman.

"One bell ahead."