id Bob.

"Oh, we've been working some days out here," answered Jack. "But we
couldn't get you."

"No," cut in Frank. "The static interfered, I guess. But it lifted
today."

"How are things going, Jack?" Bob inquired next.

Jack's voice became excited. "Going?" he answered. "Fellows, I never
knew what excitement was until this last week."

"What do you mean?" demanded both boys together.

"Oh, I couldn't tell you now," laughed Jack. "It would take all day
and then some to tell you all that's happening around here. But, let
me tell you, between Dad's business opponents and a gang of Mexican
bandits that appeared on the scene lately, things are getting pretty
lively. Say, when are you coming? Now's the time if ever----"

Suddenly, Jack's voice ceased abruptly, to be succeeded a moment later
by his agonized cry for "Help." Then there was a crash that rang in
the eardrums of the alarmed boys listening in. Then, silence.

"Jack. Jack," they called. "What's the matter?"

There was no answer.

CHAPTER II

THE ENEMY NEAR

Frank Merrick and Bob Hampton looked at each other in alarm. Their
faces were pale.

That cry for "Help" which abruptly had cut off Jack's voice as he
spoke to them from his radiophone station 2,000 miles away in New
Mexico still rang in their ears. Their heads still hummed from the
vibrating crash which had succeeded. What did it all mean?

Frank snatched the receiver from his head, while Bob removed his more
slowly. Frank voiced the question in each mind as he said in a tone of
apprehension:

"What do you think happened to Jack?"

"You know as much as I do," answered his chum.

"Well, do you know what I think?" asked Frank with energy. "I think
those Mexican bandits he spoke about sneaked up on him."

"Well, if they did, they caught a Tartar," said Bob, with conviction,
remembering Jack's athletic prowess. All three boys were athletic,
good swimmers, boxers and wrestlers, as well as skillful fencers.
Jack, however, was unquestionably the superior of the others, except
that Bob was the best wrestler.

Frank shook his head dubiously. "I don't know," he said. "If there was
a bunch of them and if they sneaked up from behind while he was
talking."

"Just the same," said Bob, "old Jack would put up some battle. I'll
bet you the furniture got mussed up all right, all right. That's the
reason for that crash. Probably the microphone was torn from the
cords. They may even have wrecke