The movement executed by the boy had been so lightning-like that none
of the details had been noted, yet Fremont recognized it as a clever ju
jitsu trick he had often seen the boys of the Black Bear Patrol
practicing. Frank laughed as the man seemed to spill off his round
figure, and before the amazed and raging Mexican could get to his feet
both boys were off like the wind, followed at a distance by policemen
who had been called by the owner of the restaurant.

"We may as well circle back to the hotel now," Fremont said, as they
brought up on a corner to rest and catch their breath. "I'm anxious
about Jimmie. We should never have left him there alone."

"If we go back to Jimmie without a cart-load of provisions," laughed
Frank, "he'll call the police. Besides, I'm starving. Here's another
feed shop, so we may as well load up."

Fremont did not enter the place, but waited in a dark stairway for
Frank to return with the food that was to be taken to Jimmie. When
Frank showed up he was devouring a thick ham sandwich.

"Now we can face the lad," the boy laughed. "He'll be hungry, though."

When they came to within a block of the hotel, Fremont waited for his
companion to bring him news of the situation there. Much to his
relief, he soon saw Shaw returning, accompanied by both Jimmie and
Nestor. And Jimmie was munching a great sandwich as he drew near to
the waiting boy.

"S-a-y!" Jimmie exclaimed, as the boys met and walked away together,
apparently free of surveillance. "That was a fresh cop. Wanted to
geezle me for a robber. If Ned hadn't come across just as he did,
there'd 'a' been a scrap. Say, Ned," he added, turning to the patrol
leader, "how did you get your stand-in with the soldiers? Wasn't that
a colonel who talked the bull cop out of pinching both of us?"

"That was Colonel Wingate," was the reply. "I can't tell you anything
more about the matter just now. Anyway, we've got our work cut out for
us to-night. We must be far from the border by morning. There's a
train from Juarez about midnight."

There were many questions which Fremont wanted to ask Nestor as the
boys, each busy with his own thoughts, crossed the bridge, after giving
a password supplied by Colonel Wingate, and took train at Juarez for
San Jose, but he remained silent. He wanted, among other things, to
ask why they were going to San Jose so directly--as if the town had
been the object of the journey from the beginning. He