"I do," responded Dick. "And now let's decide on our plan of action.
Do you think what happened to Bud will change any of the details, Mr.
Hawkins?"
"Don't see why it should. In fact I think it makes our scheme all the
more advisable. Personally, I believe the run will go through
to-night. There's no doubt but that's what you heard referred to, Bud,
for I had a tip concerning the same thing. They will depend on the
element of surprise and the superiority in number to succeed. We'll
have our hands full, at any rate."
"Somehow this doesn't seem real," mused Bud. "Here we are planning to
capture a gang of smugglers who _know_ we're after them, yet they go
right ahead and play into our hands."
"My dear boy," said Hawkins grimly, "you don't quite understand.
Delton is far from playing into our hands. In fact, if truth be told,
our chances are rather slim that we'll ever see Delton. He's no baby.
But I think we've got him beaten in one way--the gang across the border
doesn't know what we know. Now here's the situation." Dick and Bud
came closer. "A shipload of Chinks have just landed in Mexico. Never
mind how I know, but I do. These Chinese have got to be smuggled over
the border within three days, to make room for another bunch. All
right. This gang in Mexico corresponded with Delton last week, telling
him that he was to receive the Chinks on a certain night.
"There's one thing we want to make sure of--and that is to avoid
frightening them off. Has there been much action around your ranch?"
"None at all. We've kept things pretty quiet."
"That's good. Tell you--I think it would be best if you fellows would
stay as close to the ranch house as possible, until this thing is over.
You see the smugglers might send out a one man auto patrol, some time
to-day or this evening, to look over the lay of the land, and if he
sees anything suspicious the chances are that he'll choose another
route to ship the Chinks over the border by. But I don't think they'll
go far from Roaring River. They got away with it so easy last time,
that they'll probably try it again. Well--" Hawkins tightened his lips
grimly--"they won't work it twice."
"Any more instructions?" Dick asked.
"No--I'll be over to the Shooting Star sometime this afternoon. May
bring a friend with me--Larry O'Connor--one sweet shot with a revolver.
That is if I think we need him."
"Well, we've got five men all told," Dick declared. "And all of us are
fairly used to handling guns. Target practice at tin cans keeps your
eye in, and we do lots of that."
"Good idea, if you can afford the money for ammunition. Never know
when you'll need to rely on a well-placed shot."
"Are you just going to ride over to the ranch openly?" Bud asked.
"Won't someone see you?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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