The boys kept up a pretty rapid pace, and it was not long before they had left behind their noonday resting place and now were keeping careful watch of the trail in order to discover where the alcalde and his troop had turned from it. The marks of the horses on the road had not been disturbed, and about five miles from Copey the tracks plainly turned off to the left up a trail through the dense woods. It was certain that here was at least one clue to their credit which would be of value to the customs officials. "Why did you hurry on by, Dick? We might have gone up that trail for a way. We’ve plenty of time." "Yes, and we might never have come down it and returned to the ship with our information, Hank. That is why I told you not to stop nor act as if you’d noticed anything unusual. I saw something I didn’t like when I squinted up that beautiful sylvan dell, and I believe we’d better do some tall hustling from now on." "What did you see?" "Well, it looked like a full-sized native jumping behind a tree. I believe they thought we might turn up that way, and were waiting for us. As it is, I’ll feel a whole lot better when I can get around that turn ahead of us. I’ve an idea there is a gun pointing between my shoulder-blades this minute, and it doesn’t feel a bit comfortable." Unconsciously Henry turned his head to look back over the road; then with a shout of caution he started forward on the run. "Beat it, Dick; Mexican Pete and his gang are after us!" With the words came a scattering volley, and the yells of the natives in their rear, the sound of the leaden bullets tearing through the leaves and shrubs, helped the boys onward in their flight. CHAPTER XIX A BRAVE ACT AND A CLEVER RUSE As the two marines dashed around the bend in the road they found before them an open plain with small clumps of low-lying shrubs here and there on its sun-baked, level surface. Three hundred yards to their right a thatched hut of mud stood at the edge of the mangroves which bordered the plain. Apparently deserted, it offered the only real shelter in sight, and this was shelter from observation only, in all probability, for its walls would offer little resistance to the shots of their enemies. "Make for the shack, Hank," called Dick, and together they dashed across the firm ground. Before they reached their haven the bullets were again zip-zipping about them. Dick, in the lead, was within a few yards of the hut when he was arrested by a cry of distress from Henry. Turning, he saw his chum on his hands and knees about twenty yards in the rear, while from the direction of the bend an exultant yelling told him the natives were aware that one of the party was injured. Instantly Dick doubled on his tracks and was soon at Henry’s side. "Did they get you, Hank?" he inquired anxiously.