The Mystery of Carlitos

  CHAPTER XVI ON A DANGEROUS TRAIL

  As Florence led the way back to the store, she told Jose of their plansto get the horses and follow the man and Carlitos. "Can you guide usacross the mountains to the mine?"

  "_Si_, senorita, I _sabe_. I take you there."

  A few minutes later the three were back at the store, and Florence hadsucceeded in getting her father on the telephone. It was anything buteasy for her to make him understand at first about Carlitos'disappearance and their desire to hunt for him. When she finally made thesituation clear, a note of excitement came into his voice.

  "I'm glad you've phoned," he told her, "because I've just got in touchwith a man by the name of Eldridge who, I believe, is Carlitos' uncle.Ask Jose again the name of that mine Carlitos' father owned, and get himto tell you as nearly as possible where it is. I want to be sure thatthat is the mine and Carlitos the boy that this man Eldridge has beenhunting."

  Florence quickly turned to Jose. "Didn't you say the name of the mine wasLa Esperanza?"

  "_Si_," Jose nodded.

  "Tell me again how you get there."

  With many gestures Jose told her as nearly as he could where the mine waslocated. "Over that mountain to the east," he kept saying, pointing tothe range beyond.

  As soon as Florence repeated Jose's answer to her father, he replied thathe would telegraph at once to Mr. Eldridge. The name and location of themine, he said, corresponded with what he had told him.

  "But, Daddy," Florence put in, in a pleading tone, "if we don't findCarlitos right away I'm afraid it'll be too late. We're afraid that meanboss'll do something terrible to him--maybe kill him. We're sure the bossis back of this kidnaping. The reason Jose left the mine was to keep thatman from getting Carlitos. We must go right now and hunt for him. We knowthe kidnaper has started toward the mine with him."

  "Tell your father if we get horses we're sure we can overtake the man andCarlitos, because they had only a burro," burst out Jo Ann eagerly.

  Florence nodded and repeated her words over the telephone.

  After a momentary silence Dr. Blackwell answered slowly, "Well, as soonas I send the telegram to Mr. Eldridge, I'll start for the mine too. I'msure I can get there before you do, as I've found an Indian guide whoknows where it is. I want to be there before you arrive, in case anytrouble should come up. I can't have you girls risking your necks, evento save Carlitos."

  "Oh, I'm so glad you'll be there!" Florence replied.

  Jo Ann's eyes shone as she heard Florence's answer. She knew that meantthat they could start following the kidnaper and Carlitos right away. Assoon as Florence put up the receiver, she caught her by the hand, saying,"Let's hurry as fast's we can and get the horses."

  "Not yet. I've got to write a note to Mother first and give it to the manwho brings our mail. He can take the burros back to Juan, too."

  While Florence was still speaking, Jo Ann began looking about impatientlyfor some paper. "I can't get used to stores not having wrapping paper asthey do back home," she said. A few moments later the storekeeperunearthed a scrap of soiled brown paper and proudly handed it toFlorence.

  She hastily scratched a few lines to her mother, explaining the situationand the new plan.

  To Jo Ann's annoyance a half hour passed before they could find the manwho carried the mail and arrange to get the horses and everything elsethey needed.

  When, at last, they were actually mounted on the horses and had startedoff down the road, Jo Ann gave a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness we're onthe way at last. Let's ride fast now, because we'll have to slow downwhen we reach the mountain."

  She tapped her horse sharply on his neck with her switch, and off shegalloped, Florence and Jose following closely.

  When they reached the foot of the mountain, Florence called to Jo Ann,"We'll have to let Jose lead the way from now on. He says we leave theroad here."

  Somewhat reluctantly Jo Ann checked her horse's pace to allow Jose tolead. Slowly and in single file they began winding their way up a rockytrail. After about an hour's climb it became so steep and narrow thateven Jo Ann, experienced rider that she was, began to grow nervous.

  With the towering wall of rock on her right and the deep canyon below,she realized that if her horse should make a single misstep it might befatal. She shuddered at the thought of how easy it would be for thekidnaper to make away with Carlitos in such a place as this. One littlepush would mean death.

  "Florence," she called back, "I've been thinking how easy it'd be to makeaway with anyone in such a wild, lonesome spot. You don't think thatman'd push Carlitos off this precipice, do you?"

  "No, no," Florence called back quickly. "I'm sure he'll take him on tothe mine. That mean boss wouldn't pay him a large sum of money till hewas sure he had the right boy."

  "I believe you're right." Encouraged by Florence's words, Jo Ann rode onin better spirits. "If that kidnaper takes Carlitos clear to the mine,then we'll be sure to overtake them," she thought.

  About half an hour later, as the horses were struggling up an unusuallysteep place, Jo Ann suddenly cried out a sharp, "Jose, stop!"

  Startled, Jose checked his horse and looked back.

  Jo Ann pointed down at a boy's hat caught on a sharp point of rockjutting out from the edge of the cliff. "See! Carlitos' hat!"

  "_Ay Dios!_ I have fear that it is the hat of Carlitos." He leaped offhis horse and began hunting about for a stick with which to reach thehat. Finally, having found a long stick, he leaned over as far as hedared and carefully worked the stick up under the frayed edge of the hat.Both girls sprang off their horses to watch his efforts.

  When at last he had the hat in his hands, he exclaimed, "_Dios mio!_ Itis his hat!" He pointed to the cord around the crown. "The grandmothermade this cord for him."

  Jo Ann suddenly gasped and pointed down into the abyss-like gorge. "Oh,Jose, do you think Carlitos----" She broke off in the middle of hersentence, shuddering at the thought of Carlitos hurled down over thejagged rocks to the bottom of the gorge hundreds of feet below.

  Florence broke in quickly, "Maybe his hat just blew off. If he had fallenover, we ought to be able to see some sign of loosened rocks or brokenbushes where he slipped."

  She and Jo Ann, as well as Jose, began searching for some sign along theedge of the precipice. After a few moments Jo Ann walked up the trail ashort distance and, leaning over, examined the path.

  All at once her face lit. "Florence! Jose! Come here--look!" she called.

  At the joyous note in Jo Ann's voice both Florence and Jose came up toher side and stared down at the footprints in the limestone dust.

  "See," she said. "These small prints were made by Carlitos' bare feet.They're just his size."

  "_Si, si_," Jose agreed. He pointed to some larger footprints besidethem. "And these are made by the sandals of the man who is taking himoff. And here're the burro's marks."

  Both Jo Ann and Florence drew deep sighs of relief. "I feel more certainthan ever now that the man'll take him clear to the mine."

  The next moment Jo Ann frowned and pointed to the ground a few feetahead. "That rascal made Carlitos get off the burro so he could ride.See! There're no signs of his footprints from there on--just Carlitos'and the burro's."

  "I believe you're right," Florence agreed. "I wonder if it's very far tothe mine now." She turned to Jose, "How much farther is it to the mine?"

  "Three or four more hours and we'll be there."

  "I didn't think it was that far. Why, it'll be dark before we get there."There was a note of anxiety in Florence's voice.

  Jo Ann shivered. "How in the world will we ever get over this trail inthe dark? It's scary enough in the daylight. Let's hurry and get going."

  Soon all three were on their horses again and climbing steadily upward.After they had ridden about an hour, the trail began to drop downward.

  "Wh--ew!" Jo Ann ejaculated. "I've ridden horses in lots of places, butnothing like this tob
oggan slide."

  Just as she was finishing this sentence, Jose's horse dropped back on hishaunches, his four feet braced together, and began sliding in the loosegravel of the almost perpendicular incline.

  Both girls caught their breath.

  The next moment Jo Ann felt her horse begin to slide. A feeling of horroroverwhelmed her. She realized that she had no control over himwhatsoever. Would her horse and Florence's be able to keep from slippingover the edge of that horrible precipice?