“Guess that’s right,” agreed the young inventor after a moment’s thought.  “Come on, Ned.  Peg out!”

“Peg out!  Peg out!” yelled the natives, and then began a lively scene.  Pegging stakes were in readiness, and, attached to the bridle of each mule was a strong, rawhide rope for tying to the stake.  The pegs were driven deeply into the ground and in a trice the animals were made fast to them, though they snorted, and tried to pull away as they heard the neighing of the stampeding animals and saw them coming on with an irresistible rush.

“Hurry!” begged San Pedro, and hurry Tom, Ned and the others did.  Animal after animal was made fast—­that is all but one and that bore on its back two rather large but light boxes—­the contents of the case which Tom had rescued from the fire in the hold.

“What are you going to do with mule?” asked Ned, as he saw Tom begin to lead the animal away, the others having been pegged out.

“I’m going to take him over to the rocks with me.  I’m not going to take any chances on this mule getting away with those things in the boxes.  Give me a hand here, and then we’ll see what the electric rifles will do against those horses.”

But the one mule which Tom had elected to take with him seemed to resent being separated from his companions.  Bracing his feet well apart, the animal stubbornly refused to move.

“Come on!” yelled Tom, pulling on the leading rope.

“Bless my porous plaster!” cried Mr. Damon.  “You’d better hurry, Tom!  Those wild horses are almost on us!”

“I’m trying to hurry!” replied the young inventor, “but this mule won’t come.  Ned, get behind and shove, will you?”

“Not much!  I don’t want to be kicked.”

“Beat him!  Strike him!  Wait until I get a club!” yelled San Pedro.  “Come, Antonia, Selka, Balaka!” he cried, to several of the natives who had already started for the sheltering rocks a short distance away.  “Beat the mule for Senor Swift!”

Ned joined Tom at the leading rope, and the two lads tried to pull the animal along.  Mr. Damon rushed over to lend his aid, and San Pedro, catching up a long stick, was about to bring it down on the mule’s back.  Meanwhile the stampeding animals were rushing nearer.

“Hold on dere, Massa Tom!” suddenly called Eradicate.  “Yo’-all done flustered dat mule, dat’s what yo’ done.  Yo’-all am too much excited ’bout him.  Be calm!  Be calm!”

“Calm!  With that bunch of wild animals bearing down on us?” shouted Tom.  “Let’s see you be calm, Rad.  Come on here, you obstinate brute!” he cried, straining on the rope.

“Let me do it, Massa Tom.  Let me do it,” suggested the colored man hurrying to the balky beast.

Then, as gently as if he was talking to a nervous child, and totally oblivious to the danger of the approaching horses, Eradicate went up to the mule’s head, rubbed its ears until they pointed naturally once more, murmured something to it, and then, taking the rope from Ned and Tom, Eradicate led the mule along toward the rocks as easily as if there had never been any question about going there.