Harry had taken a position about half a mile from where the road turned, and where he had a good view without being seen. He saw the guerrillas stop and hesitate, and then take the right road. "They are after us, sure," he muttered, and, spurring his horse, he did not pull rein until he had overtaken the scouts. "They are close after us!" he exclaimed, pulling up his panting horse. "It will soon be dark; we can elude them," said Lawrence. "Let's fight them," said Dan, taking out his plug of tobacco and holding it until a decision was made. "Yes, let's fight them," said the men. "This is the tamest scout we've ever been on--hobnobbing with the villains instead of fighting them." "All right," replied Lawrence. "Let's ride rapidly ahead until dark. Dan, you and I must think up a bit of strategy in the meantime." "All right," said Dan, biting off a big chew from the plug he was holding, and restoring the rest to his pocket. If the decision had been against a fight, Dan would have put the plug back without taking a chew. When Dan put his tobacco back unbitten, it was always an infallible sign that something had gone in a way that did not suit him. That Lawrence and Dan had fixed up that bit of strategy was evident, for just as darkness was closing in, Lawrence ordered the scouts to stop long enough to gather a good feed of corn for their horses, from a near-by field. Then they rode on and camped in a wood, some little distance from the road. "The guerrillas will not now attack us until some time in the night," he said, "thinking to surprise us." He gave orders for the horses to be tethered a little distance in the rear of the camp, where they would be sheltered. "Hitch them so you can loose them in a twinkling, if it becomes necessary," he ordered. Then he told the men they might build a fire, make some coffee, and roast some corn, if they wished. "Had we not better dig a hole for the fire, and screen it with blankets?" suggested one of the men. "A light might give us away." "Just what I want it to do," answered Lawrence, to the astonishment of all but Dan and Harry. Lawrence then explained to his men his plan: "The guerrillas will attack us some time during the night, thinking to surprise us. I want the surprise the other way. Therefore I propose to camp as if we were unconscious of danger. The fire is to be left, not too bright, but smouldering enough to give a little light. Each man of you is to prepare a dummy. A log with a blanket around it will do. These will be placed in a row a short distance from the fire. In the dim light they will look exactly like a row of sleeping men. Last of all, we will fix a dummy sentinel, leaning against a tree as if asleep. "We will all lie down a little to one side in the bush. Then, when the guerrillas charge on the supposed sleeping camp, give it to them. If things go wrong, each man make for his horse, and get away the best he can. Make for Mexico."