The Mark On The Door Part 9

The figure lying in the sand moved an arm, groaned, then sat up. He yawned and stretched.

"Are you people trying to starve me?" he muttered. "I'm hungry."

The guard growled something unintelligible.

"I wish somebody around here could talk English," said the prisoner bitterly.

He turned at that moment and the light of 104 the fire shone dimly upon his face. Joe could not see the man very clearly, so he edged forward a little more, trying to get into a position where he could catch a glimpse of the prisoner's features.

"I don't see why you have to watch me all the time," grumbled the American. "Don't worry. I won't run away."

The native did not answer.

Just then the prisoner turned slightly and the light fell clearly upon his face. Joe leaned forward, staring.

Had he found Elmer Tremmer, the missing witness, at last?

CHAPTER XIII.

the Eider's clue.

job haedy knew Elmer Tremmer by sight. He had seen the man in Bayport several times and remembered him as a quiet, inoffensive little fellow, a rather gray, inconsequential man of about fifty. Elmer Tremmer, as Joe remembered him, had a gray mustache and wore hornrimmed gla.s.ses.

Now, as the light fell upon the face of the prisoner in the desert, Joe suppressed a murmur of disappointment. This man wore no gla.s.ses. Neither had he a mustache, but this was not surprising, as the barber in the Texas town had intimated that Elmer Tremmer had had his mustache removed. The prisoner's face was unshaven and there was a stubble of half-grown beard about his chin. In the dim light Joe was unable to identify him.

A moment later the man turned his head away. Joe wished heartily that he had known the missing witness better when he was in Bayport. Then he might have identified the man by his voice.

105.

106 Suddenly, from over in front of the tents, he heard a shout of alarm. Yells of excitement broke out. A man came running out of the firelight and called to the prisoner's guard. In a moment the sentinel leaped to his feet and urged the American before him into one of the tents. Joe could see men running back and forth.

"They've caught Juan and Senor Mar-cheta!" he thought.

Quickly he scrambled to his feet and ran back into the darkness of the sand dunes. Over to one side he caught a glimpse of dark figures hurrying out of the camp toward the slope on which Juan and Senor Marcheta had been lying.

Joe knew that he would only be courting disaster if he went toward his comrades now. It would be sheer foolhardiness should he try to rejoin them. He made a wide circle out across Ihe desert, taking shelter in the hollows of the dunes, until at last he was out of sight of the camp altogether. Once he heard the report of a rifle and an outburst of shouting.

"What had happened? There was no doubt in his mind but that his friends had somehow been discovered. If they had been taken prisoners, his own plight was serious.

He got to his feet and walked down a long hollow between the sand dunes. No longer 107 could he hear sounds from the camp. The stars flamed overhead and the silence was so deep that he might have been the only living being within hundreds of miles.

He crept quietly up to the top of the next dune. Suddenly he stopped, his heart in his mouth, for the silence was broken by the low murmur of voices.

Joe flung himself flat in the sand and lay there. Against the sky beyond the top of the dune he saw a moving figure. Joe almost cried aloud in relief. Senor Marcheta and Juan were up there on the other side of the dune. Joe Hardy climbed over the crest.

"Juan! Senor!" he whispered.

They wheeled about, "Joe!" cried Juan eagerly. "Is it you? We've been so anxious!"

"And I've been worried about you," Joe said as he came up to them. "I was over on the other side of the camp when I heard the row and I was sure you'd been caught."

"They didn't see us," Juan said. "Somebody in the camp heard us talking and raised the alarm. They all came out to look for us, but we were mighty well hidden by that time. So they decided they had been mistaken and gave up the search."

"I think we had better clear out of here anyway," Joe .suggested. "There is nothing u 108 we can do and we may bring trouble on ourselves if we hang around."

"We will go back to the place where we left the horses," Senor Marcheta said.

Joe told them nothing about the American prisoner. He went back down the slope with them and soon they were retreating from the vicinity of the camp. "When they returned to the place where they had hobbled the ponies they wrapped themselves up in their blankets and went to sleep.

Dawn broke over the desert in a blaze of glory. Frank and the Yaqui had promised to meet Joe and the Marchetas at an odd-shaped b.u.t.te with a top like a pyramid. Juan said that the Indian was sure to keep his word.

"He'll be there, and exactly when he promised," said the Mexican boy. "The Yaquis are Very dependable."

"This man in particular," declared Senor Marcheta. ""When he worked for me I trusted him above all my other employees."

They set out once more under the blazing sun. Soon the distant oasis was lost to sight beyond the rolling dunes of sand. At about mid-morning Juan spied a tiny object in the distance.

"Here they are!" he said confidently.

He was right. Before noon Frank and the Yaqui were riding up to them. Joe could not 109 telp but marvel that the Indian had found his way back to the appointed place so unerringly across the trackless desert.

Frank, mounted on a small dappled pony that the Yaqui had borrowed in town, drew up beside his brother.

"Looks as if the rest of the trip is off," he said quietly.

"What do you mean?" asked Joe.

He noticed that the Indian was talking in an earnest voice to Senor Marcheta and Juan.

"There was a message waiting for Juan's father when we got back to the town," Frank said. "Apparently they're needed back home at once."

"Anything wrong?"

"No. It's a business matter."

"But we can't can't turn back now!" exclaimed Joe. "It's impossible. Why, Frank, I've stumbled turn back now!" exclaimed Joe. "It's impossible. Why, Frank, I've stumbled on the biggest clue of all. There's an American prisoner in that camp at the oasis. For all I know, the man may be Elmer Trem-mer."

Frank was greatly excited by this news.

"An American prisoner!" he exclaimed. "How do you know?"

"We crept up close to the camp last night and overheard the people talking about him.

They're Pedro Vincenzo's men, I'm sure. *Pedro has deserted them and they're planning k.

110 to clear out. I saw the prisoner myself-just got a glimpse of him-and I don't know whether he is Tremmer or not. He didn't have a mustache and he didn't wear gla.s.ses."

"We certainly can't give up the search now," Frank said decisively. "Even if Juan and Senor Marcheta have to return there's nothing to prevent us from carrying on."

"But how could we ever find our way back? "We don't know anything about the desert."

"The Yaqui does. If we can persuade him to stay with us we won't have anything to worry about."

At this moment Juan and Senor Marcheta rode up to them.

"Boys," said the latter, "I regret extremely that business calls my son and me back to the city. It is a very important matter. The Yaqui brings me a message demanding that we return at once."

"We were just discussing that," said Frank. "Would it not be possible for us to stay?"

"In the desert? Alone? I could not permit that. I am responsible for your safety."

"But if the Yaqui remained with us we would be quite safe."

"That is true," admitted Senor Marcheta. "But is it necessary for you to stay? Is this affair so very important?"

" It's very important,'' said Frank. ''I can't 111 explain the whole business to you, Senor Mar-eheta, but we are trying to help our father in a case. Joe tells me there is an American prisoner in that camp at the oasis. We must rescue him somehow."

Senor Marcheta nodded.

"But I am afraid three of yon will not be able to set the man free. I shall suggest this.

When Juan and I get to the town on the edge of the desert, we will send soldiers out to help you rescue this prisoner."

"That's a dandy idea!" exclaimed Joe enthusiastically. "We won't have long to wait, will we?"

"Juan and I should reach the place before evening. We'll try to send the soldiers out at once. But first of all I'll ask the Yaqui if he cares to stay."

Senor Marcheta spoke to the Indian, and it was soon evident that the native was agreeable to remaining with the Hardy boys. Frank and the Yaqui had brought an extra supply of food with them, so that there were no serious obstacles in the way of their remaining. Senor Marcheta, who evidently placed great confidence in the Yaqui, solemnly instructed the man that he would be responsible for the safety of los Americanos. los Americanos. The Indian placed his hand above his heart.

"They will be safe, Senor," he promised.

112 In a few minutes the party broke up. Juan and his father said good-bye to their young friends. The Mexican lad was greatly put out because his share of the adventure had come to such an untimely end. He suspected that there was more excitement to come, but he tried to be cheerful about it and waved gaily to the Hardy boys as he rode away. In a little while the two ponies were hardly more than tiny moving dots on the sunbaked surface of the desert.

'' What shall we call you ?'' Frank asked their coppery-skinned guide.

"Yaqui," returned the native promptly.

"Yaqui it is, then. Senor Marcheta has told you what we want to do?"

The Indian nodded.

"We are to stay until the soldiers come."

It was a long wait, and a monotonous one. Frank and Joe managed to s.n.a.t.c.h a little sleep in the shade of a great cactus plant, and whiled away the afternoon until night fell.

Frank was eager to push on toward the oasis and spy out the ground for himself, but Yaqui did not favor the idea.

"We are three,"he pointed out. "They are many. If we are seen, it may be too late when the soldiers come."

"That's reasonable enough," agreed Joe. "It wouldn't pay to spoil it all by being impatient. I suppose we had better wait."

The Rider's Clue 113 Under the desert stars they spent the night. *Vhen morning came the boys eagerly scanned the horizon for some sign of the promised soldiers. But the skyline was unbroken.

There was nothing but a great expanse of sand, s.h.i.+mmering in the heat. The sun rose higher and still there was no moving object among the distant dunes.

"Perhaps there weren't any soldiers in the town," said Joe, disappointed.

"Perhaps they wouldn't come."

Yaqui said nothing. Fe crouched on the sand, his arms around his knees, and gazed steadily into the distance.

Toward mid-day they caught sight of a traveler on horseback, followed by a small burro, about a mile to the northeast. He was coming toward them from the direction of the oasis.

"Perhaps this is one of Pedro's men!" exclaimed Frank.

As the rider approached they saw that he was a Mexican. He hailed them in his own language, evidently surprised to see the three camped in such a place. Yaqui called back to him, and when the traveler rode up, asked him questions. He was evidently inquiring about the people at the oasis, as the boys judged by his frequent gestures in its direction. There Was a lengthy conversation between the pair and at last Yaqui turned to the Hardy boys.

114 "This man has just come from the oasis."

"And what does he say?"

"There is no one staying there now. But he saw a caravan moving toward the edge of the desert."

CHAPTER XIV.

THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER.

"they've given us the slip!" cried Frank. "They've broken camp and gone back to the mountains after all."

"We'll never find them now!" said Joe disconsolately.

Yaqui and the stranger exchanged a few more *words. Then the Mexican rode away, the burro bells tinkling solemnly as he resumed his lonely journey across the sand wastes.

"Can't we set out after them, Yaqui?" asked Frank desperately. "We must free that prisoner. ''

"If only the soldiers would come," Joe groaned.