"This Senor Merrill is rich, I hear. But all his wealth has not prevented his miners leaving him to answer the call of the insurrecto cause. His mine, The Esmeralda, is not more than twelve miles from here. In the treasure room is stored much gold. Since we blew up the railroad, he has not been able to ship it. We must have that gold." He paused and looked at the Americans inquiringly. Of the four, Bob Harding alone looked enthusiastic. "It should be easy, general," he said; "if the Mexican miners have quit, all we have to do is to march in and help ourselves." "Yes, but Senor Merrill is not unsurrounded by friends," went on the general, while Jack's heart gave a bound of gladness; "he has a German superintendent and several mine bosses. They have arms and ammunition, and it will be a difficult matter to dislodge them. Also, there are telephone wires by which he can summon aid from the regular troops." "Well, what do you want us to do, sir?" asked Jack, with what was really, under the circumstances, a creditable simulation of disinterest. "To undertake some scout duty. Find out just what his force is and the best quarter from which to attack the mine. And, above all, sever his communication with the outside world." "Cut the wires?" asked Bob Harding eagerly. "That's it. Make it impossible for us to fail." "But, general, do not the regulars already know of your presence in this part of the country?" asked Jack. General Madero smiled. "The heads of bone which command them know little beyond dancing and how to flirt correctly," he said. "My flying column has, in the past two days, passed from one end of the province to the other without their being aware of it. The main part of my army is in eastern Chihuahua, blowing up bridges and otherwise diverting their attention, while I have come into, what you Americans call, Tom Tiddler's ground, where I mean to pick up all the gold and silver I can. Why not?" he demanded, with a sudden access of fury. "Is it not ours? What right have these interlopers of Americanos here? Mexico for the Mexicans and death to the robber foreigners!" He brought his lean, shriveled hand down on the table with a thump that made the lamp shake. His Latin temperament had, for the moment, carried him away; for a flash the blaze of fanaticism shone in his eyes, only to die out as swiftly as he regained command of himself. "When shall we depart on this duty, sir?" asked Bob Harding, after a brief pause. "To-morrow. The hour I will inform you of later. Not a word of this in the camp, remember. I can trust to you absolutely?" "Absolutely," rejoined Bob Harding, with, apparently, not a single qualm of conscience. The general's eyes were bent upon the boys who had not rejoined to his question. "Absolutely," declared Jack, saving his conscience by adding a mental "Not."