CHAPTER XXV

THE WHISTLE

Thought was hardly quicker than Nat Ridley's act as he pulled loose his sleeve from the betraying grip of Don Castro and leaped toward the door dividing the long building in two. As he glided from the grasp of the Mexican, the latter gave a cry of dismay.

"After him!" shouted El Capitan. "He must not escape again! He knows too much!"

"Devil of a spy!" cried some of the other Tolas who, with their leaders, had come over into the United States in furtherance of their plans and because of certain things the deaf mute had written in his notes. The mute had promised to deliver into their hands Nat Ridley the detective, and to tell where Cora Ardell could be found.

"Spy! Spy!" yelled the baffled and enraged Mexicans, while El Capitan seemed actually to foam at the mouth.

"He said he would deliver Ridley to us!" cried Don Castro.

"And he is here!" cried the ringing voice of the supposed deaf mute. "Nat Ridley is here! Come and get him! I am Nat Ridley, at your service!"

He leaped into the other room, which appeared to be vacant. After him rushed El Capitan, Don Castro and the "killers." Each one held either a double dagger or a gun.

For a moment it seemed that Nat Ridley would be either killed or captured. But the same smile that had wrinkled the brown face of the supposed Mexican now corrugated that of the sleuth and he shouted:

"Come in and get me!"

Into the room--occupied only by the detective it seemed--rushed the Tola gang.

Then Nat Ridley put a whistle to his lips and blew a shrill blast. Instantly certain boxes along the sides of the room were shoved aside and there appeared two cowboys and Baldy Stoler and Berry Todd and a number of United States revenue officers, each one grim of face and holding two guns.

"Betrayed! Betrayed!" snarled Don Castro.

"All is not lost yet!" shouted El Capitan. "We are on Mexican soil. These pigs of Americanos cannot arrest us!"

"There's where you're wrong!" cried Nat Ridley, his hand in his coat pocket. "You're on United States soil. There's the international line!" and he pointed to a black mark running along the floor just where the door was set in the partition. "You're in the United States and you're all prisoners!" his voice rang out. "This is the end of the Tola gang!"

"Not yet!" snarled El Capitan. "The double dagger will be avenged!"

He leaped at Nat with the two-pointed knife he drew from his coat, but as he sprang there was a sharp report, a puff of smoke from the detective's pocket, and El Capitan crumpled up on the floor, a bullet through his heart.

"It is my turn!" yelled Don Castro.

He drew his gun and aimed at Nat from behind. But Berry Todd saw the motion and the detective's gun spoke once. Don Castro went down, the bullet striking him in the mouth as he opened it to yell his defiance.

Several of the Mexicans began firing, but they were poor shots and the bullets flew wild, while the guns of the cowboys, the three detectives, and those of the revenue officers did fearful execution. Several of the Tola gang were killed, and the others, in a panic of fear, threw down their weapons, raised their hands in the air, and cried out that they surrendered.

"Well, then, I guess this is about all," remarked Nat Ridley as the cowed wretches were led away to the Paloma jail, the fight having taken place on the outskirts of the city. "Is Miss Ardell all right?" he went on. "Where is she?"

"You can see for yourself," remarked Slim Jim. He went to a side door, opened it, and Cora entered.

* * * * *

So ended the reign of terror instituted by the Tolas when they found that the oil wells were more valuable than had been supposed. With the leaders slain and most of the principals in jail, the order was all but wiped out. In some ways it was a lawful secret society, and there were good members of it, particularly in the mountains among the poor and honest peons.

But the Tola had been corrupted by El Capitan for his own ends and those of his friends, and the forcing of the oil wells from the Lembergs, who were lawfully entitled to them, was only part of their plans.

Nat Ridley had learned all their secrets while in their headquarters disguised as the deaf and dumb Mexican. He learned how the deaths of the three Lembergs had been brought about, and from the persons of the slain and captured men were taken several large double daggers and a number of the small ones, with the drugged points--emblems used to strike terror to the hearts of the enemies of the Tolas.

"Dan Steele is avenged," said Nat when, having resumed his own character, he was ready to go back to New York with Berry and Baldy.

"And my cousins' widows and the other heirs will be in undisputed possession of their oil wells," added Cora Ardell. "My own interests will also be safe now, thanks to you," she said to Nat with a grateful smile.

They were soon on their way north in a train, for the girl decided that she had had enough of Mexico. Certain trusted agents were left in charge of the oil-well property.

"And when will you send in your bill?" asked Cora presently.

"What bill?" came from Nat, wonderingly.

"The bill for your services," said the girl. "I want to pay my share, and I know, my cousins' widows will also. How much do we owe you?"

"Nothing at all," was the prompt answer. "What I did was done to rid the country of a desperate gang and to avenge my friend Dan Steele. It wasn't a question of money. I don't want a reward. Dan Steele is avenged!"

"Good and plenty!" echoed Baldy Stoler.

And then Nat Ridley settled back in his seat for a well-deserved rest.

THE END