“Who was that?” whispered Archie, in a trembling voice.

“Pedro,” replied the young Mexican.

“What did he want?”

“He told me to bring up the gray and black; he is going out to steal horses, now,” said Beppo, with the same indifference he would have manifested if he had said that Pedro was about to drive up a herd of cattle.

For a moment Archie stood, almost without breathing, looking up at the trap-door through which the Ranchero had disappeared. His heart beat so fast and furiously that he was almost afraid the man might hear it, and come back to see what was the matter. At first he did not know what to do; but, after a few seconds’ reflection, the details of a scheme which he had matured while Beppo was telling him about the plans of the mutineers, flashed through his mind, and he began to bestir himself.

Since he entered the stable and found his horse there, he had more than once told himself that if he could only contrive some way to get the animal above ground, he could laugh at all the Rancheros in Southern California. He would jump on his back, and go through the court, and out of the gate, at a rate of speed that would make Don Carlos and his band of rascals wonder; but the difficulty was to get the horse up there without being obliged to answer questions. As far as his disguise was concerned, he was not at all uneasy. He was so nearly Beppo’s size that the jacket fitted him exactly; and his journey across the plains, and constant exposure to the hot sun, had tanned his face until it was almost as brown as an Indian’s. It was just the color of Beppo’s—not quite so dirty, of course, but that was something the Mexicans would not be likely to notice. Besides, Archie was a capital mimic, and he knew that, if he was questioned, he could imitate his prisoner’s way of talking, Spanish twang and all. He had the keys, too, with which he could open any doors he might find in his way; but suppose he should meet some of the band, and they should ask him where he was going, and what he intended to do with the horses—what reply could he make? Now, however, he had no fears on that score. Pedro had made every thing easy for him. Mistaking him for Beppo, he had ordered him to bring up the horses; and if he met any one who took an interest in his movements, he would know how to answer them.

“I’ll soon be out of here,” said Archie, to himself; “and when I once find myself fairly in that court, won’t I astonish these Greasers? Uncle said this morning that if we could shoot Old Davy and arrest the horse-thieves, he would be glad of it. We’ve finished the grizzly, and if we can’t capture the robbers, we will at least have the satisfaction of knowing that we have broken up the band, and got our horses back. But I believe we can gobble up every one of them. When I get home I’ll tell Carlos to send out uncle’s herdsmen, and we will arouse the settlement, and raise a crowd of men, and come here and storm the rancho. I’ll have a chance then to see a fight and smell powder.”

Many a time, while talking over the particulars of the battle which had taken place years before at Mr. Winters’s rancho, Archie had expressed the hope that another band of freebooters would turn up before he left California, and make a second attack on the building. He had passed through a fight with hostile Indians; had heard the whistle of their bullets and arrows; and he thought that all that was needed to complete the list of his adventures, was the opportunity of taking part in a siege of a week or two. If every thing worked according to his calculations, it was probable that his wish would be gratified. How the robbers would fight when they found their stronghold surrounded by the settlers; and what desperate attempts they would make to cut their way out! How the rifles would crack! and how Dick Lewis and Bob Kelly would yell and exult at finding themselves once more in their natural element! Archie became highly excited over the prospect.

Archie’s first care was to provide for the safe keeping of his prisoner, which he did by binding his handkerchief over his mouth, and pushing him under Roderick’s manger, where he tied him fast; Beppo submitting to the operation without a murmur. His next work was to prepare the horses for their plundering expedition, which he had fully determined should not prove a success that night. A saddle, which hung upon a peg close at hand, was soon strapped on the mustang’s back; but when Archie had slipped the bridle over his head, a thought struck him, and he stopped and looked reflectively down at his prisoner.

“I shall have to untie this fellow again,” said he, “for I don’t know which way to go. These passage-ways run about in every direction, and I might get lost; then, if some of the band should meet me, they would know in a minute that I wasn’t Beppo. Whoa, there! Where are you going, Roderick?”

While Archie was talking to himself, the mustang backed out of his stall, and walked quietly to the grated door at the farther end of the stable, where he stopped, and seemed to be waiting for some one to come and let him out. He had become quite familiar with his new quarters; and Archie knew then that he had only to let Roderick take his own course, and he would lead him straight to the court. He quickly put the saddle on his own horse, and he also backed out of his stall, and took his stand beside Roderick, in front of the grated door. So far every thing was working to Archie’s satisfaction; but the dangerous part was yet to come, and he trembled when he thought of it. He carefully examined his revolver, hid his bowie-knife in his boot, and put the pistols, which he had found on the table, into his trousers’ pockets. Then he pulled out his bunch of keys, picked up the lantern, and started toward the door. He regretted an instant afterward that he had not left the lantern; for as he glanced toward the door, he saw a face pressed close against the bars, and a pair of eyes glaring at him with a most ferocious expression. Archie stopped suddenly, undecided how to act. Had the man penetrated his disguise? That question was quickly answered to his satisfaction by the Ranchero, who clenched his hand and shook it at him, saying, in a savage whisper:

“You haven’t heard the last of this, my young friend. I’ll settle with you as soon as you have taken those horses up.”

The man gave his fist another shake to emphasize his words, and then left the door and hurried down the passage; but, before he disappeared in the darkness, Archie obtained a good view of him, and recognized him as one of the mutineers whom he had seen at the door a few minutes before. Archie understood his words perfectly. The Ranchero was very angry at Beppo for his failure to carry out his part of the contract, and had made up his mind to punish him for it at some future time. He did try to whip somebody; but, as it happened, he got hold of the wrong man, and came out second best.

“He’s gone,” said Archie, drawing a long breath of relief, “and I think I may venture out. I wouldn’t be in Beppo’s boots for a quarter, when that man meets him. I believe I am the luckiest fellow in the world; for whenever I get into a scrape, I always find an easy way out of it.” As he said this, he thought of the “scrape” he had had that morning with Old Davy, and told himself he had not come out of that so very easily after all. He still felt the effects of his fall in his nose and shoulder. “If any body had asked me half an hour ago what I thought of the situation,” he continued, “I should have said that the prospect was not very flattering. I expected to have a terrible fuss with these Greasers; but, just in the nick of time, a mutineer comes up, mistakes me for an accomplice, gives me a bunch of keys, and thus makes it the easiest matter in the world for me to effect my escape. It is really wonderful.”

Archie at last succeeded in finding a key to fit the lock, the door swung open, and the horses went out and started down the passage-way, Archie following close at their heels. Now that he had a light, and could distinguish objects about him, he wondered at the number and extent of the passages. They ran about in all directions, and the horses turned first into one, and then into another, and twisted about until he began to believe that they had lost their way. But they knew where they were going, and in a few minutes they brought Archie in sight of a door which led into the court. The door was open, and there were half a dozen men standing in front of it, among whom was Don Carlos, who seemed to be highly excited about something; for he was flourishing his arms wildly around his head, and talking at the top of his voice. If Archie had known what a race Frank had had through that court a little while before, and what had happened to him since, it would have increased his own excitement and alarm, if such a thing were possible. He believed that his cousin was still seated comfortably in the room where he had left him, reading his book, and all unconscious of Archie’s absence.

“He will stay here all night in perfect security,” Archie had said, whenever he thought of Frank, “and to-morrow, when he comes home, he will hardly be willing to believe me when I tell him what I have seen, and what I have been through. The Don will treat him like a gentleman, of course; but what would he do to me if he should find that I am down in this cellar learning all his secrets? I’d be gone up, sure. I wonder if the old fellow has discovered my absence, and what he thinks of it!”

The Don, as we know, had discovered his absence, and was greatly alarmed thereat, fearing that Archie might have found his way into the underground portions of the rancho, and learned something that was not intended for him to know. Having returned from his chase after Frank (with what success we shall see presently), he was determined to ascertain what had become of Archie; and a dozen of his Rancheros were at that very moment searching for him in every nook and corner of the passage-ways.

When Archie discovered the men at the door, he knew that the tug of war was coming. His disguise had already been tested by Pedro and one of the mutineers, and their suspicions had not been aroused in the slightest degree; but how would it be when he came out into the court, which was brilliantly lighted up with lanterns? He was quite certain of one thing, and that was, if the Don recognized him, and wanted to stop him, he must do it before he reached the court; for after that it would be impossible. If he could only put his eyes on the gate, he was safe. That was what Archie thought as he extinguished his lantern, and spoke in a low tone to the horses, which stopped instantly. Mounting King James, he gathered the reins firmly in his left hand, seized the mustang’s bridle with his right, and in another moment was dashing at full speed up the declivity that led to the door. He was right in the midst of the Mexicans before they knew it. Two of them were sent headlong to the ground, and the Don only saved himself from being run down, by a jump that was remarkable for one of his years. They were all scattered right and left, and the way was clear to the gate.

“Good-by, Don Carlos!” shouted Archie, so excited and elated that he could scarcely speak; “I’ll be back in half an hour.”

No words could describe the Spaniard’s bewilderment and alarm. He recognized Archie’s voice, knew in an instant that his worst fears had been realized, and saw the necessity of preventing him from leaving the rancho. He stood gazing in astonishment at the swiftly moving horses and their daring rider; and before he could recover the use of his tongue, they were half way across the court.

“Ach, mine heavens!” roared the Don, jumping about over the ground like one demented; “mine dear heavens! Here ish dis leetle poys! Shtop him, dere! Dis ish von grand shwindle!”

There were half a dozen Rancheros in the court, besides those who had been conversing with the Spaniard, and Archie’s sudden appearance created a great commotion among them. They ran about in every direction, some shouting for their pistols, and others calling for their lassos; but not one among them was daring enough to attempt to stop him. They might as well have tried to stop a locomotive or a steamboat. The horses bounded across the court with terrific speed, and nothing short of a rifle-ball or lasso would have checked them. Archie’s face was very pale, but it betrayed not the slightest sign of fear. It wore a determined, reckless look, and it was easy enough to see that he was not to be daunted by any obstacles or dangers he might find before him. He would have remorselessly run down all the herdsmen on the rancho, if they had placed themselves in his way.

Archie thought now that his escape was but a question of time—of seconds; but there was one obstacle in his way that he had not calculated upon, and that was the gate. When he came in sight of it, what was his dismay to find that it was closed! The heavy oak bars were in their places; and the gate was so well secured, that before he could dismount and open it, the yelling, angry Mexicans, who were closing in from all sides, would be down upon him in a body. He was cornered—caught. His desperate plan for escape, which had been so brilliantly commenced, and which at first promised to succeed even beyond his expectations, had resulted in utter failure. He wished now that he had remained hidden in some of the underground rooms until dark.

The horses stopped when they reached the gate, and Archie turned in his saddle and took a survey of the situation. The court was filled with men now—for the most of those who had been searching the passage-ways had come up—and they were all running toward him, swinging their lassos, and brandishing their knives and pistols as if they intended to use them as soon as they could get their hands upon him. A more ferocious looking set of men he had never seen.

Had Archie been placed in this situation a few months before, it is probable that he would have been frightened out of his wits, and that he would have surrendered without making any further attempts at escape. But he had been the hero of some exciting adventures since he left Lawrence, and, to some extent, he had become familiar with danger. Besides, he was naturally brave and resolute, and believing from the actions of his enemies, and the expression he saw in their faces, that it was their intention to take a summary vengeance upon him, he resolved to fight for life and liberty as long as he had strength enough to move an arm. He had nothing to gain by surrendering himself into the hands of the Mexicans; he might gain every thing by resisting them to the last.

“Now, dis ish all right!” yelled the Don, when he saw Archie hesitating at the gate, and his men closing around him. “We have got dis leetle poys. Hi! Bedro, vat you makin’ dere? Ah! Mine heavens!”

The change in the old Spaniard’s tone was caused by an action on the part of Archie, which astonished every body in the court. Dropping Roderick’s bridle, he suddenly wheeled his horse and dashed furiously toward the Rancheros, who scattered before him like a flock of turkeys. As he passed through their ranks, several lassos were thrown at him; but Archie had learned how to avoid these weapons, and by lying flat along his horse’s neck, he escaped being pulled from his saddle. He galloped toward the nearest door, and without trying to stop his horse, threw himself to the ground, and disappeared in the hall like a flash. A few rapid steps brought him to the room to which the Don had conducted him on his arrival at the rancho. He did not stop to look for his cousin, for he knew that if Frank had been there, the confusion and noise in the court would have brought him out. He ran straight to the painting of the Indian warrior, pressed the button in the handle of the knife, and when the door opened before him, he dashed through and ran along the dark passage with reckless speed;—the smooth click of the spring-lock telling him that the picture had swung back to its place. He still had the bunch of keys, which he intended to preserve as a memento of his visit to Don Carlos’ rancho, and his object now was to reach the room adjoining the stable, and lock himself in. He concluded, from something Beppo had said, that there was but one set of keys to all these rooms; and he had the satisfaction of knowing that if that was the case, the robbers could not capture him until they had cut down every door in the rancho. He would retreat as they advanced, locking all the doors behind him; and when at last he was brought to bay, he would use his revolver.

The passage was so dark that Archie could not see his hand before him; and how he ever got down the stairs without breaking his neck he did not know. He accomplished the descent in safety, however, and there his good fortune ended. As he jumped into the passage at the foot of the stairs, he came in violent contact with some one who instantly seized him and held him fast.

“Who’s this?” demanded a gruff voice.

“Santa Maria!” cried Archie.

“You young rascal!” continued the man, in a tone of great satisfaction. “I’ve got you now, and I am going to give you the best dressing down you have had in a twelve-month.” Something whistled sharply in the darkness, and Archie felt the effects of a stinging blow from a rawhide in the hands of his invisible antagonist.