, under the leadership
of Paz, moving off at a right angle to the main trail, while Mike,
evidently in command of the smaller party which guarded the captives,
was going on up the mountain slope, farther into the fastnesses of the
rugged peaks.

"Say, what's up?" asked Floyd, of his sister.

"Don't know, but it looks as if they had separated. One band going one
way and our bunch this way. I don't like it either. I'd rather deal
with Paz, ugly as he is, than with this Mike, who is Irish only because
we've given him that name," Rosemary answered.

"It is queer," murmured Floyd, as he guided his pony along the
difficult trail. "Paz has gone off with the main body of Indians, and
left us in charge of these. If I only had a gun we could take a chance
and rush them, Rose. There's only about three dozen!"

"Too many for just one gun," she answered.

"But can you guess what the game is?" her brother wanted to know.

"Well that's all I can do--guess. From what went on soon after
breakfast I imagine some of the Indians saw, or heard about a party
that was on their trail."

"You mean a party from Diamond X?"

"Either that or soldiers."

"That's so! Soldiers!" cried Floyd. "I hadn't thought of them! Of
course there are troopers stationed out here at various places. And
word of the Yaquis uprising is sure to go to them. Maybe a band of
U.S. Regulars is on the way to save us, Rose!"

"I hope so. But we can't count on it. What I do think, though, is
that Paz took alarm at something, and he isn't going to chance being
found with us on his hands."

"You mean he's passing the buck to Mike here?"

"Something like that. If our friends or Uncle Sam's men round up this
bunch of cut throats and find us in their possession it will go hard
with them. So Paz isn't taking any chances."

"That may be the explanation," agreed Rosemary. "Anyhow we're being
taken farther into the mountains by a small band, and the larger body
is sliding off to one side."

"It's a queer thing," said Floyd, as he and his sister rode along side
by side, "that these Yaquis didn't turn back into Mexico, and take us
across the border instead of rushing us into the United States."

"Maybe they were afraid to cross the border, which is pretty sure to be
better guarded than usual, after this outbreak," Rosemary said. "Or
maybe the Yaquis didn't want to share spoils with any of their friends
on their own side of the fence."

"That's so!"