"What did you find out?" Jondo asked.

"We must clear out of here right away and get through to the other side
of town and be off by daylight without anybody knowing it. They are a
gang of ugly Mexicans who would not let us cross the river if we should
wait till morning. They have already sent a spy over here, and they are
waiting for him to report."

"Where is he now?" Bill Banney broke in.

"They's two of him--I know there is," Rex Krane declared. "One of him
went east, to cut us off I reckon; an' t'other faded into nothin' toward
the river. Kind of a double deal, looks to me."

Both men looked doubtingly at the young man; but without further words,
Jondo took command, and we knew that the big plainsman would put through
whatever Esmond Clarenden had planned. For Aunty Boone was right when
she said, "They tote together."

"We must snake these wagons through town, as though we didn't belong
together, but we mustn't get too far apart, either. And remember now,
Clarenden, if anybody has to stop and visit with 'em, I'll do it
myself," Jondo said.

"Why can't we ride the ponies? We can go faster and scatter more," I
urged, as we hastily broke camp.

"He is right, Esmond. They haven't been riding all their lives for
nothing," Jondo agreed, as Esmond Clarenden turned hesitatingly toward