ur own game."

"If I believed you, Senor Reade--" began Don Luis, bending his
head low as he thrust it forward and gazed piercingly at Tom's face.

"I don't care anything about your believing me," retorted Tom.
"But Harry and I will prove to these real men every word that we've
been saying."

"You have robbed me!" hissed Don Luis, now believing.

His hand flew to a rear pocket. He drew a pistol. But two soldiers
had crept up behind Montez at a sign from Senor Honda. Now, one
of the barefooted soldados struck the weapon down. It clattered
on the porch, and the other soldier picked it up.

There was a struggle between Don Luis and the soldiers. Two other
soldiers came to their aid, and--Click! snap! Montez was
securely handcuffed.

"Take them off!" screamed Montez, paling like one about to die.
"Senor Honda, this is an outrage, and you shall--"

"Peace, fellow! Hold your tongue!" ordered Honda. "Do you not
understand? You are a prisoner, nor are you ever likely to be
much better off than that. A complaint of the treatment of these
Americans, Reade and Hazelton, was forwarded to our government
by the American minister in Mexico City. The complaint mentioned
that the governor of Bonista was a confederate of yours in more
than one underhanded bit of business. On account of the urgings
of the American minister to this country, I was despatched here
to investigate, and with authority to arrest the governor of Bonista,
if necessary, and any other rogues."

"That's a lie!" snarled Don Luis. "How could the American minister
learn what was going on in this country? These mountains of Bonista
have never told my secrets."

"They did, for this one time," Tom broke in, gleefully. "And
I can tell you how it happened. Harry, do you remember the day
that Nicolas was gone so long that you were uneasy about him?
Well, I knew where Nicolas was, for I had sent him off. He thought
he had found a messenger who would have more success in getting
our letters mailed than had fallen to the lot of the messengers
with our first two letters. Nicolas's messenger, from to-day's
developments, must have got through. While I was sending one
letter I thought it as well to send two. One letter was to our
home offices, directing that the matter contained in my letter
be taken on the jump to the government at Washington. The other
letter, Mr. Haynes, was directed to you, sir, for I did not then
know that you were one of the