well, I'm afraid. Does the general talk English?"

"Well. He's a good fellow, too. You'll find out."

Thus rattling on, Bob Harding escorted the lads toward the van of the
advancing horsemen. There were about a hundred in the troop, which
Harding had referred to as a "Flying Column," and, although the
horsemen were all apparently well armed, their appearance was ragged
and wild in the extreme. They had evidently seen some hard fighting.
Here and there could be seen men with bandaged heads or limbs, while
their high conical-crowned hats were in some cases drilled, like
beehives, with bullet holes. In color, the insurrecto leader's
followers ranged from a delicate cream to a dark, reddish-brown, almost
the coppery hue of a red Indian. In all, they formed as ferocious and
formidable-looking a troop of horsemen as the Border Boys had ever set
eyes on.

Madero himself, a rather sad-faced man of past middle age, rode in
advance, surrounded by several officers, the latter having red flannel
chevrons attached to their buckskin coats by safety pins. The famous
insurrecto leader raised his hat with Mexican courtesy as the newcomers
approached. Bob Harding drew himself up in his saddle and gave a
military salute which the general stiffly returned. The boys, taking
their cue from their new acquaintance, followed his example.

"I am afraid that your first experience with the insurrectos was a
rough one, senores," said the general, with one of his sad smiles,
using very fair English.

"No rougher than we must expect," rejoined Jack crisply. The lad by
now had begun to have an inkling of the situation. Evidently Bob
Harding was a soldier of fortune fighting with the insurrectos against
the troops of Diaz, while they themselves were supposed to be more of
the same brand. Evidently they had been expected by Ramon's
subterranean river, and in taking the boat they must have forestalled
the real Con Divver, Jim Hickey, and Ted Rafter. Jack caught himself
wondering how long it would take the latter to ride over the mountains
and discover the imposture.

"We are on our way to our bivouac farther on, gentlemen," said the
general, with a wave of his hand, as if to dismiss them. "Captain
Harding will introduce you to your brother officers and later on I will
assign you to duty."

The boys saluted once more, as did Bob Harding, and, still following
the young soldier of fortune, they rode toward the rear of the column.
The