The Young Engineers in Mexico; Or, Fighting the Mine Swindlers

Harry. "What is he

t he is doing," Tom returned. "He isn't in

the young chief e

leaded Nicolas. "But don't encounter Gato.

the warpath for u

as answered. "Don'

if the fellow is out

e where

camped just around there," sai

ry," Tom whisper

against the stones caught their glance. Tom held a hand behind him as a sig

a low camp-fire, wer

rifles, that lay on

cowl on his face, sat

st a

here to-night, Senor Gato," softly remar

d Gato, in a

are we wai

e," snapped the big f

t payin

o be seen," rejoined the speaker at the fire. "Th

e drew back. "I have heard that Mexico is overrun wit

t the fire. "We shall know how to enter and find your f

it me," retorte

why

ot payi

es

rders and do no

of dissatisfaction from

not like it. He would accuse me of treachery-or w

y case, if you injure his engineer

Luis will not care what I do to th

resting-if true," w

ed one of the men. "Here, so close t

ing orders,"

quite enough to suit us," o

s. However, I will say that, when daylight comes, we will hide not far from here. None of yo

f the rough men. "Are we to ki

Tom Reade,

shall pay you just four times as much if you bring them to me as prisoners. Remember

thought Tom, with

autiously, "that one of the Americanos beat you fe

s face distorted with rage. "It is a lie, I tell you

he tale," admitted the Mexican wh

avagely. "But the Americanos procured my d

soon as Don Luis is through with the America

d me with such contempt," retorted P

riends that you are angry because of the trouncing I gave you before a lot of men? Bu

is rifle. Next scattering the embers of the fire, the

ng," he whispered. "

htly transport of ore down to El Sombrero. Just now Don Luis is having fine

another mine to El Sombrero?"

and spitting on the ground. "Why should I concern myself w

queer

to. "Do not meddle w

r you will be

the approach of troops. In some mountainous parts of Mexico the government's troo

s. There will be nothin

this road," pleaded one of the men. "It

lace I showed you this afternoon. As for me, after the mule-train h

n," muttered one o

sign to Harry. Both young engineers flattened themselves out behind a pile of stones at the roadside. Their biding-place was far from being a

yawned Pedro

He soon fancied he saw a safe way of slipping off to the s

tes later the young engineers were a hundred yards away from Gato, though

whispered Tom. "

ato?" grimaced

with him between us," Tom retorted.

head,

ness. They skirted the road,

" whispered Tom. "Now, we're close enough to s

me, anyway?" w

guess," pr

aving ore from another mine broug

ay? And did you notice, too, that when blasts were made with us looking on, no ore worthy of the nam

o a mine to be removed. Such salting gives a wort

Luis want to salt hi

rr

can sell it,

esn't want

out his mine and then he wanted us to sign the report as engineers. Doesn't that look as though he wanted to sell? Harr

for, then? He spoke of

s simply to find two clean and honest engineers who'll sign a lying repo

indler, and we'll thro

n, vehemently

just long enough to see whether we can't expose the scoundrel as he deserves! Harry, we'll h