CHAPTER XIX AN EXCITING RACE
With a warning honk of her horn Jo Ann sped up and started to pass theother car.
Almost simultaneously one of the men turned and stared incredulously,then shouted out a sharp order. The next instant the other man swervedhis car dangerously toward them, trying to force them off into a deepditch.
"Oh, step on it!" cried Peggy. "Step on it!"
"They're trying to hit us!" shrieked Florence.
Somewhere from the back of Jo Ann's mind came the command, "Keep yourhead!"
Automatically her nerves and muscles obeyed. She turned her car sharplyand swiftly out toward the ditch as close as she dared, giving it all thegas that it would take.
For a perilous moment that seemed ages-long to the girls the car hoverednear the edge of the bank. Instinctively both Florence and Peggy leanedto the other side of the car, as if to make their weight the decidingfactor in keeping the car from falling into the ditch.
Then, to their unbounded relief, their car swept by, missing the other bya few inches.
"A miracle!" gasped Peggy.
"Keep stepping on it!" implored Peggy as she turned to look back at thesmugglers' car. "They're coming full tilt after us."
"O-oh, hear them yelling at us!" put in Florence, her eyes dilated withfright. "They're trying to catch us. Step on it! Suppose they shouldshoot at us--or our tires!"
Though Jo Ann heard the girls' earnest pleas, she wasted no energy inreplying. Every cell in her brain must be centered on driving. That carwas still dangerously near. They might push past and try that same trickof forcing her into the ditch on the other side. Moreover, the road aheadwas much steeper and narrower. It wound threadlike up the mountain side.What if those smugglers should deliberately wait and force them off thathigh road! To be knocked off that steep rocky cliff would mean death forall of them. And what if her engine should go bad up there--or a tireblow out! "Steady, Jo," she ordered herself. "Stop worrying andconcentrate on driving."
"They're not gaining an inch," Florence called out encouragingly then.
"But they're not losing any," added Peggy.
When, in spite of her determination not to worry, she had to slow down atturns in the winding road, she found her breath coming more and morequickly. Perhaps the smugglers could make the turns faster.
Again and again Florence encouraged her with, "They're not gaining."
Finally, when they were nearing the highest stretch of all, Florenceexclaimed, "They're dropping behind a little now! See, Peg!"
"Hot ziggity! They are, sure enough!" cried Peggy, vastly relieved. "Ibelieve the worst's over. But don't slow down, Jo."
"I won't any more than I have to," Jo Ann replied, cheered immensely bythe girls' assurance that the smugglers were dropping behind in the race.
"Good old Jo--and good old Jitters," praised Florence. "They can't bebeaten."
"Don't brag too soon," Jo Ann found time to say in short, clippedsentences.
She was determined to keep Jitters running at the greatest speedpossible, and yet not be reckless in making the many sharp curves. Withmind and eyes ever alert, she watched the road. She must be ready for anyemergency.
Florence and Peggy kept turning every minute or two to watch the pursuingcar.
"It's losing ground right along," Peggy kept saying, ending each timewith, "isn't it, Florence?"
Each time, to Jo Ann's joy, Florence would reply with an emphatic "Yes."
Still Jo Ann held to the maximum speed possible for safety. "Nothing likebeing on the safe side," she told herself. "They might gain on us on thedown grade."
After they were on the downward stretch, both girls assured her that theybelieved the danger was over. "They'll never catch us now unless we haveengine or tire trouble."
A few minutes later, on glancing back, Peggy exclaimed triumphantly,"They've about stopped! They've stopped now! On that highest curve. Oneof them's getting out now. Maybe they have a flat."
"Here's hoping they have two flats," smiled Florence.
"Why not wish for three, for good measure?" added Jo Ann.
"Say, aren't you thankful Miss Prudence isn't along?" Peggy askedsuddenly.
Both girls smiled, and Peggy went on, "She'd have had heart failure orsomething by this time."
"No, she wouldn't," declared Jo Ann. "She'd have rallied to the cause andencouraged me on, as you two did. When it comes to the test, she's strongfor action and plenty of it."
A few minutes later Florence announced that it would not be long tillthey would reach the city. "Do you think we'd better change, Jo, and letme take the wheel?"
Jo Ann shook her head. "I don't want to stop even long enough for that."
"Oh, no, don't change," begged Peggy, immediately disturbed at the ideaof stopping.
"I know the shortest way to the market now, and that's where we want togo first," Jo Ann declared. "I've got to find the mystery man at once, sohe can get on the smugglers' trail."
"It won't be easy for him to follow them even then," Peggy saidthoughtfully. "Can't they go around the city some way?"
"No, that's the only road till they get to the edge of the city," repliedFlorence. "They'll probably not come up into the main part."
"I imagine the mystery man'll phone or telegraph to the officers on bothsides of the border to be on the lookout," put in Jo Ann. "They couldcatch more of the gang that way."
When Jo Ann turned into the street leading to the market, Florenceremarked, "It'll be no use trying to find a parking place in front of themarket. It's always full. You'll save time by parking in the first emptyplace you find within a reasonable distance. I've wasted as much as halfan hour hunting for a parking place down here."
"We mustn't waste any time anyway," Peggy put in. "We have lots of thingsto buy for Miss Prudence, and I've a little shopping I want to do, too.We can be doing our buying while Jo hunts up her mystery man."
At quite a little distance from the market Jo Ann found a parking place.No sooner had she stopped the car than she sprang out, saying, "I'll meetyou at that same booth in front, where we waited the other day."
Off she rushed down the street, her fast-flying steps causing more thanone Mexican to say smilingly, "_Americana_."
When Peggy tried to lock the car a few moments later, she found that shecouldn't. "Something's gone wrong with it," she said, handing the key toFlorence. "See if you can make it work."
After several unsuccessful efforts Florence slipped the keys into herpurse, saying, "Oh, let's don't worry any more about trying to lock it.We can get a boy to watch the car for us." Hardly had she finishedspeaking than she caught a glimpse of the newsboy with whom Carlitos hadbeen so friendly. "Here's the very boy!" she exclaimed, gesturing to himto come to her.
The boy's large black eyes lit in swift recognition, and he ran over toher side.
Florence quickly explained to him that she wanted him to watch the carwhile she went to the market.
With a nod of assent the boy answered, smiling, "_Si._ I watch good foryou. You are Carlitos's friend."
"He'll watch it right; we won't have to worry," Florence said confidentlyas she and Peggy walked on down to the market.
Soon they were busily buying fruit and vegetables.
In the meantime Jo Ann had elbowed her way through the crowded aisles ofthe market to the pottery booth at the back. On reaching the booth shestared around, anxious-eyed, hunting for the mystery man. Oh, where washe? There wasn't a sign of him anywhere. He'd said he was always aroundhere at this time of day. What if he should've missed coming this day?
She walked slowly back of the booth and on around to the front again, hereyes scanning every man in sight. "He's not here," she told herselffinally, "and I don't know where else to go to look for him. Oh dear! Thesmugglers'll get away again."
Just as she had reached this discouraging conclusion a stalwart,olive-skinned man with a dark mustache and black hat stepped up to h
erside and said in a low tone, "Don't show your surprise--I'm the manyou're looking for."
The mystery man! Jo Ann barely suppressed a gasp of amazement. Disguisedas a Mexican. The same aquiline nose and gray eyes, but how startlinglydifferent he looked.
In almost an inaudible voice she told him as quickly as she could aboutthe smugglers being on the way to the city.
The man's eyes shone on hearing this news. "Good work. We'll follow themthis time and try to get the ringleaders of the gang as well as thosetwo. I must get word to my men right away on both sides. You're still atthe La Esperanza Mine?"
"Yes."
"I'll let you know how I come out. Many thanks for your help." With thatthe man rushed off toward a side exit.
Feeling relieved and happy that she had succeeded in delivering thismessage, Jo Ann walked on to the front to look for the girls and foundthem, as she had thought she would, buying fruit and vegetables.
Peggy was the first to spy her. "You don't have to tell us you've hadsuccess, Jo," she said. "You're smiling from ear to ear."
"I didn't mean to be that jubilant."
"You have a right to be happy," Florence said warmly. "Peg and I areglad, too, aren't we?"
"Sure."
While Peggy and Florence selected the fruit and vegetables, Jo Ann madethe other purchases, chiefly by means of the sign language, as herSpanish was not sufficient for bargaining. As soon as they had allfinished their buying, Florence found two small Mexican boys to carrytheir piles of packages to the car. With the boys at their heels theystarted out to the street, Florence in the lead.
Just as she stepped out on the street, Florence caught sight of thenewsboy, his face and head bleeding, almost surrounded by a crowd ofpeople.
"Gracious! What can have happened to the poor child?" she gasped as sheran toward him.
As soon as he saw Florence the newsboy began explaining between sobs,"Oh, senorita, two men--stole--your car! I try to stop them--and one ofthem--knock me down."
"Oh, that is terrible!" Florence cried, at the same time scrutinizing hiswounds. "Not deep, but painful," she decided before going on to questionhim about the appearance of the men.
Brokenly, the boy began describing the man who had hit him. "He had ascar--on his chin--and one eye squinted--an evil eye."
"That sounds like the taller one of the smugglers," Florence decidedimmediately. "Was he the taller one of the two men?" she asked.
"_Si._ I try to keep them--from stealing your car, but----" The boystopped talking to sob afresh.
"I'm sure you tried," Florence comforted him. "Here is some money." Shehanded him some coins and then a clean handkerchief, adding, "Wipe theblood with this."
A tall professional-looking man stepped up just then and remarked, "Iwill look after the boy."
With a "_Muchas gracias_" and an "_Adios_" to the boy, Florence hurriedback to Jo Ann and Peggy, who were standing near by, still wondering whathad happened.