," explained Pedro. "Plenty much, sometimes
too many they come. You see, maybe."

It was nearly noon, and Tom was considering stopping for dinner if
they could come to a good watering place, when Ned, who had ridden
slightly in advance, came galloping back as fast as his steed would
carry him.

"Look out! Look out!" he cried. "There's a stampede of 'em, and
they're headed right this way!"

"Stampede of what? Who's headed this way?" cried Tom. "A lot of
monkeys?"

"No, wild horses! Thousands of 'em! Hear 'em coming?"

In the silence that followed Ned's warning there could be heard a
dull, roaring, thundering sound, and the earth seemed to tremble.

"The young senor speaks truth! Wild horses are coming!" cried San
Pedro. "Get ready, senors! Have your weapons at hand, and perchance
we can turn the stampede aside."

"The rifles! The electric rifles, Ned--Mr. Damon! We've got to stop
them, or they'll trample us to death!" cried Tom.

As he spoke the thundering became louder, and then, looking across
the grassy plain, all saw a large troop of wild horses, with flying
manes and tails, headed directly toward them!

CHAPTER XI

CAUGHT IN A LIVING ROPE

"Quick! Peg out the mules!" cried San Pedro, after one look at the
onrushing horses. "Drive the stakes well down! Tie them fast and
then get behind those rocks! Lively!"

He cried his orders to the natives in Spanish, at the same time
motioning to Tom and Ned.

"Get off your mules!" he went on. "Peg them out. Peg out the others,
and then run for it!"

"Run for it?" repeated Tom, "Do you think I'm going to leave my
outfit in the midst of that stampede?" and he waved his hand toward
the thundering, galloping wild horses which were coming nearer every
moment. "Get out the electric rifles, and we'll turn that stampede.
I'm not going to run."

"Bless my saddle!" cried Mr. Damon. "This is awful! There must be a
thousand of them."

"Nearer two!" cried Ned, who was struggling to loosen the straps
that bound his electric rifle to the side of his mule. Already the
pack animals as well as those ridden by the members of the giant-hunting
party were showing signs of excitement. They seemed to want to join
the stampeding horses.

"Peg our animals out! Peg them out! Make them so they can't join the
others!" yelled San Pedro. "It's our only chance!"

"I believe he's right!" cried Mr. Damon. "Tom, if we wait until
those maddened brutes are up to us they'll fairly