onald. "Let's walk down the
track a piece. We can easily keep ahead of the crowd."

Avoiding the glare of the locomotive's headlight, the boys
hurried down the track and when far enough away from the train to
feel secure, they took the middle of the track.

"This is far enough ahead," said Donald, "to keep out of sight
and the track is all right so far. I don't believe it is torn up
at all."

"Then what is up?"

"That is what I've been trying to decide for nearly an hour,"
replied Billie. "It looks as though they intended to make all the
Americans prisoners."

"But what for?"

"Why, for hostages, to be sure. Don't you remember how Caesar took
a lot of the Helvetians for hostages?"

"By George!" from Donald. "I believe you are right. Do you
suppose it is Huerta's orders?"

"I expect so. He hates Americans."

While the boys had been talking the passengers had been taken
from the train and were now coming toward them.

"Let's keep just far enough ahead to see what will happen," said
Donald. "We must get in touch with Adrian somehow."

They started ahead, but it speedily developed that the others
were not following. Instead they had been halted a short distance
from the locomotive, back from the track, and surrounded by
soldiers.

"There seems to be a hitch somewhere," Don finally remarked.
"They don't seem to know just what they do want to do."

"Come on back and find out," said Billie. "It's up to us to do
something."

Cautiously they crept back to where they could hear the
conversation among the passengers and the questions they
asked the guard. Some were laughing and more were expressing
indignation. A few of the women were crying, but above all they
could hear the voice of the florid-faced man telling what he
would do as soon as he could get into touch with Admiral
Fletcher.

"Which won't be very soon, unless I'm mistaken," laughed Donald.

Presently some one began to whistle a popular air, but in such a
way that the boys recognized the well-known whistle of Adrian.

"Do you hear that?" asked Billie. "Ad wants to know what we are
doing."

"He'll have to want for the present," said Don, "but there go a
couple of officers back to the train. Let's follow them."

The boys darted into the shadow of the coaches and crept back
only a few steps behind what proved to be the captain in charge
of the company and his second lieutenant.

"If I only had my automatic, I'd soon settle this whole matter,"