CHAPTER II NEIGHBORS IN THE CAVE

  The two girls hurried along the trail, and a few minutes later Florencepointed to a dark, shadowy place about fifty feet up the side of thecliff. "There's the cave I was telling you about."

  "All I can see through the bushes is a black hole under some rocks. Canwe climb up there? I'd like to explore it."

  "Yes, there's a path leading up to it. It isn't very large and won't takeyou long to look it over."

  After rounding a curve in the trail, Florence led the way up the windingpath toward the cave.

  "That's strange!" she exclaimed a moment later. "There's a burro tiedright outside the entrance. Someone must be in there."

  "And I smell smoke from a campfire, don't you?" asked Jo Ann in a lowvoice as she moved over closer to Florence. "Do you suppose we'd bettergo on?"

  "Yes, I think it'll be all right. If we have neighbors, I want to seewhat sort of people they are."

  Just then they saw, silhouetted against the dark cave entrance, the bentform of an old woman leaning on a stick. On coming closer the girls wereable to make out the features of a brown, wrinkled face, which was almosthidden by the folds of the black shawl-like _rebosa_ about her head andshoulders.

  "_Buenos tardes_," greeted Florence, then went on to explain in Spanishthat they had come up to see the cave, not knowing that it was occupied.

  While Florence was talking to the old woman, Jo Ann was peering into thedark opening beyond. By the light of the fire in the middle of the floorshe could see a woman kneeling by a stone _metate_ grinding corn for_tortillas_, and near by, lying on a straw mat on the floor, was a tinynaked baby.

  Just then several little stair-step children ran to peer up at thevisitors from behind their grandmother. Jo Ann took some of the flowersfrom her bouquet and offered one to each of them. With smiles spreadingover their thin, grimy faces, they reached out timidly for the flowers,then drew back behind their grandmother again.

  "What is your name?" Jo Ann asked the largest of the children in her bestSpanish, but either the child could not understand or else she was tootimid to reply.

  Hearing a slight noise behind her, Jo Ann turned in time to see the twoboys she had noticed gathering wood. The one with the heavy burden on hisback passed on into the cave without looking around, but the otherhesitated and stared up at her curiously before disappearing into the diminterior. In that short interval Jo Ann had an opportunity to see thathis eyes were unmistakably a deep blue; moreover, she noticed that,although his skin was brown, it was not as dark as the other boy's andthe little girls'.

  While she was pondering over this difference, Florence reached over andtouched her on the arm. "Come on, Jo, we'd better go now. We'll come downagain sometime."

  Both girls waved good-by to the children, then started off down thetrail. "Did you notice those boys as they came in?" Jo Ann asked. "One ofthem has blue eyes, just as I said."

  "I was so busy talking to the grandmother that I didn't see them tillthey had passed on into the shadows. Evidently they belong to thisfamily."

  "Well, that blue-eyed one certainly doesn't look as if he belongs tothem. There's something strange about him. Do you suppose they live inthat cave? They didn't have a stick of furniture--not even a bed or tableor chair or anything."

  "Oh, that doesn't matter to the peons. They never sleep on a bed, andthey eat off the floor. But those people did look awfully poor. I don'tbelieve they had a thing for supper but those _tortillas_ the woman wasmaking."

  "Let's come down here tomorrow and bring them something. Those childrenlooked half starved to me."

  "We'll do that very thing, but if we're going to eat tonight, we'd betterbe getting back to camp. Mother and Peg'll wonder what's happened to us."

  "And we haven't finished straightening up the kitchen, either," Jo Annsighed. "How about cooking supper in that outdoor fireplace? It's toogorgeous up here to stay in the house any more than absolutelynecessary."

  "All right. That's what I'd planned to do anyway."

  "Isn't this the road we came up this morning?" Jo Ann asked a momentlater, as they came to a cart road winding back and forth up the steepmountain side.

  "Yes, we're almost home. If it weren't for the trees, we could see thehouse from here. There's a short cut straight up the mountain." Shepointed to a narrow path between the trees and rocks. "Since you're sofond of climbing, we'll take that and be back at the house before youknow it."

  In a short time they arrived at the house, puffing and panting from theexertion of their steep climb.

  "Did you--think we--were never--coming?" asked Florence, dropping downbeside her mother, who was lying on a cot out in front of the house;then, without waiting for an answer, she asked, "Have they brought themilk yet?"

  Her mother nodded. "Just a few minutes ago. Did you and Jo Ann have anice walk?"

  "Yes, indeed! It seemed so good to be tramping over the mountains again."Florence smiled. "I had to recount the family history from A to Z to thewoman at the goat ranch, and she said it gave her much sorrow to learn ofyour illness. She and all the children'll probably be up to see youtomorrow. Here's a jasmine she sent you--we picked the fern down by aspring." She sniffed the fragrant perfume a moment, then handed thedainty spray to her mother.

  "And while we were at the spring," put in Jo Ann, "we saw two littleMexican boys gathering wood; and I'm sure one of them had blue eyes."

  "Yes, Jo thinks she's on the trail of another mystery," laughed Florence.

  "Oh dear," sighed Peggy with a roguish twinkle in her eyes. "I told youwe wouldn't be here three days before she'd find a mystery, and here it'shardly been that many hours."

  "Then, when we were at the cave," Jo Ann went on, unruffled by Peggy'steasing, "the boys came in, and I got a good look at that one's eyes, andthey were blue--a deep, deep blue--bluer than yours, Florence."

  "Well, what's your solution?" grinned Peggy. "Has your blue-eyed boy beenkidnaped, or is he a prince in disguise?"

  "I'll tell you later. Give me a little time, and I'll find out. Florenceand I are going down to the cave tomorrow to carry some food to thosechildren--there were several thin, dirty, half-starved little ones there.Come along, Peg, and if that boy is there, you can see for yourself thathis eyes are blue. I hope he is--I want to prove to you and Florence thatI'm not color blind."

  "I'm 'most as hungry as those children looked," put in Florence. "Let'sget supper."

  Jo Ann sprang up. "I'm a swell fire-builder. I'll build the fire thisminute--in the outdoor fireplace."

  "No, you won't. I've beat you to it," laughed Peggy.

  As they went through the house, Jo Ann noticed that a gay red-and-whitechecked cloth had been spread on the table and places set for four. "Youhave been busy, haven't you?" she said motioning toward the table.

  "Sure. Mrs. Blackwell told me what to do with things, and I'vestraightened up the kitchen and put some rice on to cook for supper."

  Just as they reached the kitchen door, Florence came up and slipped herarm around Peggy affectionately, "Peg, you're a grand person to havearound; Jo's been dreading straightening this kitchen all the way home."She smiled over at Jo Ann, then went on to the kitchen and took severalarticles out of a box near the door. "Here, Jo, if you'll fry the baconand scramble some eggs, I'll make some real Mexican _chocolate_; then ifyou'll open this jar of preserves, Peg, we'll have supper ready in ajiffy."

  "Even that won't be soon enough to suit me," laughed Jo Ann. "That climbup the mountain and this invigorating air have made me hungry as a bear."

  In a very short time supper was ready, and as Jo Ann placed the platterof bacon and eggs on the table, she called over to Peggy, "Catch hold ofthe other end of this table and let's carry it outside. That sunset'sjust too gorgeous to miss, and then Mrs. Blackwell won't have to walk sofar, either."

  Carefully Peggy and Jo Ann carried the table out in front of the houseand set it down near Mrs. Blackwell's cot; then F
lorence brought a chairand placed it at the head of the table.

  "The banquet is served, Your Majesty." She turned to help her mother intothe chair.

  "No banquet hall was ever as beautiful as this." Jo Ann waved her handtoward the deep purple valley, the gold-tipped mountain peaks, and therainbow-hued canopy overhead. "And listen--the music of the littlemountain folk singing their farewells to the sun!"

  "You surely have a good, imagination, Jo," commented Peggy, laughing. "Itis perfectly grand, but all I can hear is the croaking of bullfrogs."

  "Your appreciation of the beauties of nature seems to be sadly lacking."She smiled condescendingly at Peggy, then turned to Mrs. Blackwell. "Idon't wonder that the doctor at the sanitarium, and your husband, too,ordered you up here to recuperate after your long illness. You couldn'thelp but get well here."

  Mrs. Blackwell nodded assent. "Yes, this is a wonderful place to rest. Ireally begin to feel stronger already--and with three such thoughtfulgirls to look after me I'm sure I shall be as well as ever in a fewweeks."

  "I'm so glad you're here with us and not 'way off there at thatsanitarium," said Florence, reaching over to squeeze her mother's hand."We're going to take such good care of you that you'll just have to getwell."

  Tired out from the busy, strenuous day, they lingered long over theirsupper, watching the ever changing colors of the slow tropical sunset.Carmine melted into rose, amber, violet, finally fading away into a softtender green. Deep purple shadows settled over the mountains as thecolors faded, and a slender crescent of a moon peeped down at them from astar-flecked sky.

  Suddenly the spell was broken as Florence jumped to her feet. "Gracious!I forgot all about fixing that box down at the spring to keep our milkand butter in. Does anyone know where my flashlight is?"

  "Yes, I put it on the dressing table right beside your cot. I'll get it."Peggy jumped up and ran inside the house. A moment later she returnedwith the flashlight and handed it to Florence.

  "I'll go with you and fix the box if you'll tell me what to do," offeredJo Ann.

  "First we'd better light some candles so we can see what we're doing,"Florence said as the three of them went into the kitchen. She dived downinto the box and brought out two tallow candles and handed them to JoAnn. "When you get those lit, Peg and I'll put the milk and butter injars."

  "What'll I do with them now I've got them lit, Florence--hold them?"grinned Jo Ann a moment later, holding a lighted candle in each hand.

  "Stick them on these lids and put them on the table. Here's the box I'dplanned to use. We'll put the things in it and then carry it down to thespring."

  "The spring! Do you mean that spring where we saw the two boys--myblue-eyed boy?" Jo Ann asked.

  "Of course not, silly. I mean the spring back of the house where we getour drinking water. There're springs all over these mountains."

  They placed the things in the box, then, with Florence leading the waywith the flashlight, they carried it to the near-by spring.

  After they had moved several stones aside, they placed the jars of milkand butter in the icy water, placed the package of bacon on top of thejars and then turned the box over all.

  "Pile some stones around the box and put this big one on top, and thenour refrigerator'll be fixed," Florence said.

  As soon as they returned to the house and had washed the dishes, theybegan getting ready for bed.

  "I didn't realize how tired I was till now. I won't need any rockingtonight, I'm sure," Jo Ann said as she crawled under the blankets.

  Her thoughts drifted back to the blue-eyed boy. Who was he, and why washe with those peons? There must be some mystery back of it all. Could itbe possible that he had been kidnaped as Peggy had jokingly suggested?"I'm going down there early tomorrow morning and find out more about it,"she told herself before dropping off to sleep.