es you ought to be
able to. We came upon the gang about noon, where they were resting after
a long chase. In a corral near by were a number of stolen stock. They
were not expecting trouble of any kind. Some were playing cards, a few
cooking, most, however, were enjoying the siesta, their leader among the
number lay under the shadow of a tree, his head resting on a saddle,
sound asleep.

"There were fifty of us, and we had them surrounded, so that there was
no chance of escape. Alverado himself made a desperate dash, but the
cordon was too strong. The rest surrendered. That afternoon we took the
bunch to the lower end of the canyon, where there was a giant sycamore
tree. There we hanged the whole thirteen, and by them no more were
troubled not even by their ghosts."

Jim and Jo expressed their appreciation of their host's kindness in
entertaining them as he truly had done in relating his tales. Then they
said good night and went to their room.

That night the boys slept in a comfortable bed in a quaint old bedroom
with roses nodding in at the half open casement windows. By the light of
the candles they could see the strange old and carved furniture and
tired as they were how they did sleep.

The next morning they started hours before daylight. "I will be prepared
to welcome more of you in a few days," said the Senor Valdez, and the
boys thanked him heartily. Promising to return soon they galloped away
through the darkness.

All day they rode, hardly drawing rein at all. At first through the
foot-hills and then over the wide plains. Jo had a fresh horse, a
powerful black, as his other mount could not stand the strain of the
long trip that meant three score and ten of miles before evening.

Early in the afternoon they left the plain and rode into the deep and
rugged gorges of a mountain chain, running East and West. Thence into a
broad valley leading South-easterly, and about four P. M. they turned
directly South entering a Pass in the Southern side of the valley, from
which they emerged on a plain. Where the trail left the Pass stood a
large sycamore tree, when they reached it, the Indian messenger rose
from its shelter.

CHAPTER XXIX

A WONDERFUL LEAP

Now without hesitation we must take up the fortunes or rather
misfortunes of Tom and Juarez as they landed in the darkness upon the
mysterious island, for our narrative presses to its conclusion. Never
did they feel more hopeless than on this occasion,