"Yes," rejoined another of the horsemen, "and the young brat is as slippery as an eel. He and this Coyote Pete, as they call him, escaped me once before in the Grizzly Pass. I have a debt to even up with both of them." Ramon did not mention the hidden treasure of the mission. Perhaps he had reason to fear that to do so would be to bring the anger of General Madero upon him, for he was now apparently posing as a patriot and an active insurrecto agent. "We must have him," declared Madero, in a voice that fairly made Jack's blood run cold. Its smoothness and velvety calmness veiled a merciless ferocity. "We will get them, never fear, general," Bob Harding's voice could be heard assuring the insurrecto leader; "if they escape now, it will mean the ruination of all our plans." "You are right, Senor Harding," came Madero's voice; "and now, would you oblige me by seeing if that is not a cave up there on the bank of the gulch." Important as absolute silence was, a gasp of dismay forced itself to the lads' lips. From the conversation they had overheard, it was evident Bob Harding was trying hard to cultivate favor with General Madero. In that case, he was not likely to conceal the fact that it was actually a cave Madero's sharp eyes had spied, or that the cavern held the very three youths the Mexicans were in search of. "Let's rush out and end it all," whispered Ralph, upon whom the tension was telling cruelly. "If you attempt any such thing, I'll knock you down," Walt assured him. The ranch boy had taken the right way to brace Ralph up. The Eastern lad bit his trembling lip, but said no more. Do not think from this that Ralph Stetson was a coward in any sense of the word. There are some natures, however, that can endure pain, or rush barehanded upon a line of guns, which yet prove unequal to the strain of awaiting a threatened calamity in silence and fortitude. "Here, hold my horse," they heard Harding say to one of his companions, "I'll soon see if that is a cave or not." "Bah! It is nothing but a hole in the ground," scoffed Ramon, "we are wasting time, my general." "Not so," retorted Madero. "I mean to have those boys, if we have to turn over every stone in the valley for them." "Ye-ew bate," drawled Rafter, who was one of the searching party, with his two companions, "I've got a word ter say, by silo, ter ther boy who used my name." "I guess that goes for all of us," rumbled Divver's throaty bass. Harding's footsteps could now be heard clambering up the bank. From below his companions shouted encouragement to him. "Ef they be in thar, yew let me take fust crack at 'em, by chowder," admonished Rafter's voice from below. "You'll all get a turn," came from Harding, in his lightest, most flippant tones.