Though the meal was not very appetizing, it tasted to Bob as if it was the best dinner ever served. He felt better after eating it, and more hopeful.
For several days he was held a captive in the room. One evening Vasco Bilette and Tom Dalsett paid him a visit.
"We have brought a paper for you to sign," said Vasco.
"I think you will, my boy," spoke the Mexican. "Bring in the charcoal, Tom."
Dalsett went out and returned with a small, portable clay stove in which burned some charcoal. Heating in the flames was an iron used for branding cattle.
"You can take your choice of signing this or of seeing how you look with a hot iron on," said Vasco. "This paper is a letter to your father, telling him you have been captured by brigands, who will not let you go excepting they are paid ten thousand dollars."
One of the Mexicans took the iron from the fire. It glowed with a white, cruel heat. At the sight of it Bob's courage melted away. At the same time a plan came into his head.
"I thought you would," observed Vasco. "Put your name here."
He handed Bob a letter, written to Mr. Baker, whose name and address Noddy Nixon had supplied. In brief, it demanded that ten thousand dollars be sent to the brigands and left in a lonely spot mentioned, if Mr. Baker did not want to hear of the death of his son. Any attempt to capture the writers, the missive stated, would be met with the instant killing of the boy.
"Sign there," said Vasco, indicating the place.
Bob did so. At the same time he placed beneath his signature a scrawl and a row of figures.
To the Mexicans figures meant nothing, and it is doubtful if they observed them. But to Mr. Baker they spelled out the message: "Send no money. I can get away."
They were figures in a secret cypher bank code that Mr. Baker sometimes used, and which Bob had learned.
"I guess that will fool them," thought the boy, as he saw his captors take away the letter.
For the next few days nothing occurred. Bob was kept a close prisoner in his room, and the only person he saw was the girl who brought him food. He tried to talk to her, but she did not seem to understand English.
The captive was beginning to despair. He feared he would never see his friends again, for he did not believe his father would send the money, and without it he was sure the desperate men would kill him.