s going to be a long and difficult task to get the
professor out of his present predicament, and there seemed need for
haste.

"Here, put this under your head," said Jack, stripping off his jacket
hastily, and throwing it within, "I'll tell Coyote Pete about your
accident, and we can get remedies from the packs."

But when Jack turned, only Ralph and Walt stood beside him. The sturdy
cow-puncher had vanished.

"He's gone to get the glasses," explained Walt.

Presently Coyote Pete, very much out of breath from his dash down the
path and up again, stood beside them. He had the glasses in his hand,
and lost no time in applying them to his eyes. He had not had them
there two minutes when he gave a quick exclamation and turned hastily
to the boys.

"Lie down; lie down, every one of you," he ordered sharply.

They lost no time in obeying, as they knew that the old plainsman must
have an excellent reason for such a command. The next instant Pete
himself followed their example. Crouching low, he once more peered
through the glasses above the edge of the cup-like depression.

"Who are they?" asked Jack in a low voice, wriggling his way to Pete's
side.

"I'm not sure yet, but they are all armed. I caught the flash of
sunlight on their rifles. If they are Mexican insurrectos, we are in a
bad fix."

"Mexicans! What would they be doing this side of the border?"

"That remains to be seen. But I don't like the looks of it."

"Suppose they are Mexicans, Pete, would they do us any harm?"

"That depends a whole lot on whether they are on lawful business or
not."

"You mean----"

"That I don't like the looks of it. If there's an insurrection in
Mexico, those fellows are after no good on this side of the border.
They may be some band of cut-throats, who are taking advantage of the
disturbances to raise Cain."

"Good gracious," exclaimed Jack, "and the professor's just injured
himself so that we can't move him for some time anyhow."

Coyote Pete turned sharply on the boy.

"What's he done?"

"Broken his ankle, or, at any rate, seriously sprained it."

Pete's rejoinder to this was a long whistle of dismay. He said
nothing, however, but once more applied the glasses to his eyes. Jack
saw him gnaw his moustache, as he gazed out over the desert. The
dust-cloud was quite close now--not more than a mile away. The boys,
with their naked eyes, could easily catch the moving glint of metal.

"Well, Pete, what