"I'll show you," replied Vasco. He put his fingers to his lips and whistled shrilly.
An instant later half a dozen Mexicans stepped from the shadow of the trees and stood in a line, in the glare of the fire.
"Well, you didn't lose any time over it," observed Noddy. "Where did they come from, and who are they?" and the bully looked a little uneasy.
"They came from the greenwood," replied Vasco Bilette, "for the forest is their home. And they are friends of mine, so now both your questions are answered."
"If they're friends of yours I s'pose it's all right," went on Noddy.
"Well, rather!" drawled Vasco, lighting another cigarette from the stump of his last one.
Bilette addressed something in Spanish to his friends who had so mysteriously appeared.
"_Si, señor_," they exclaimed as one man, bowing to Noddy.
"Queer you happened to have 'em on hand," said Noddy, accepting the answer to his question, for he had learned a little Spanish, and knew that "si" meant yes.
"I anticipated we might need them," said Bilette. "So I told them to be on hand and in waiting to-night. They are very prompt."
"Then we'll join forces with them and show Jerry Hopkins and his crowd that he can't have everything his own way," growled Noddy. "Come on, we'll follow them now and see what they are doing," and Noddy seemed ready to start off.
"Not to-night; it's time to turn in," objected Bilette. "We'll begin early in the morning."
He spoke once more to the six men, who disappeared into the forest as quietly as they had come. Then Bilette, wrapping himself up in his cloak, went to sleep.
The others followed his example, and soon the camp was quiet. Noddy now had his plans in working order, and he thought, with satisfaction, of the revenge he would have.
"Come, come, boys! Are you going to sleep all day?" exclaimed Professor Snodgrass, the next morning.
His cheery voice awoke the others, and they sat up on the hard cots.
"Where are we? Oh, yes, I remember now!" said Bob. "I thought I was back at the gold mine."
"I dreamed I was back in Cresville," added Jerry. "I wonder how all the folks are. We must write some letters home."
After breakfast, which the Mexican and his wife served in an appetizing style, the travelers decided to delay their start an hour or two, and spend the time writing. Professor Snodgrass said he had no one to correspond with, so he wandered off with his net and specimen box, but the boys got out paper, pens and ink, and were soon busy scratching away.