CHAPTER XIII

THE POTTERY WOMAN'S WARNING

On coming in sight of Miss Prudence and Peggy, the two girls checked their steps.

"Let's don't mention seeing that man before Miss Prudence," Jo Ann warned. "No use alarming her."

"All right," Florence agreed. "He didn't act as if he were dangerous, anyway. He ran, too."

"He didn't want us to see him--to recognize him. What's he doing here?"

Florence shook her head, puzzled. "I can't imagine. The pottery woman said they always went on to the city after getting the pottery."

All at once it dawned upon Jo Ann that they had not got any ferns and would soon be back at the pool empty-handed. "Miss Prudence'll wonder why we didn't get some ferns," she said. "Let's stop this minute and pull up some."

"All right."

In a few more minutes they had carefully pulled up some clumps of the daintiest maidenhair specimens in sight and had wrapped elephant-ear leaves about their roots to keep the leaf mold from falling off.

When they neared the pool Peggy called out, "What'd you see to make you come flying back so fast--a rattlesnake or a boa constrictor?"

"Er--neither," Florence replied.

To her and Jo Ann's relief Miss Prudence asked quickly, "Are there really boa constrictors around here? Did you ever see one here?"

"Not right here," Florence replied guardedly.

"Close here?"

"Well--fifty miles or so to the south."

"Hop on your horses and let's go this minute." Miss Prudence tapped her boot against her mount's flank and started riding down the path.

In a few minutes the three girls were following.

After Miss Prudence had gone out of hearing distance, Peggy rode over close to Jo Ann and demanded, "What did you girls see to scare you that way?"

Jo Ann leaned over and whispered, "One of the smugglers!"

Peggy gave a little sudden start that made her horse quiver responsively. "Gol-ly!" she ejaculated. "What'd he come up here for?"

"That's what Florence and I want to know."

By the time the girls had reached the house, Miss Prudence had dismounted and had gone inside.

As they were walking along the corridor to their room Maria hurried out of the kitchen, an excited gleam in her black eyes.

After a swift glance around to assure herself that Miss Prudence was not in sight she called to Florence in a low voice and motioned for all three of them to come there. As they drew near she went on excitedly, "There is a woman here from San Geronimo to see you. She say she has something to tell the señoritas who bought her _ollas_ a few days back. It is very important, she say."

"A woman from San Geronimo to----" Florence checked her flow of Spanish to relay the message in English to Peggy and Jo Ann.

"She must think it's important to come 'way up here," Jo Ann murmured to Florence as they followed Maria and Peggy into the kitchen. "Do you suppose it could be something about those----"

Before she could finish her sentence, they were inside the kitchen. There sitting beside the door talking to José was the woman from whom Jo Ann had bought the pottery.

On seeing Jo and Florence the woman rose and hurried over to meet them. With her words tumbling over each other in her excitement, she began talking to Florence. So rapid was her Spanish that Jo Ann could catch only a few words now and then. One thing she was sure of, however, was that the woman was frightened. But why? She could stand the suspense no longer and broke in, "What is it, Florence? What's the trouble?"

Florence turned and explained quickly to her and Peggy, "She says she heard the smugglers threaten to get even with you and me."

Jo Ann's eyes flew open, but she repressed the frightened exclamation on the tip of her tongue.

"Her oldest girl overheard one of the men tell the other that they'd find out at Pedro's store where we lived," Florence went on; "then that he'd drive on with the load of pottery and let him wait around here for a while."

"So that's why that man's here--to get even with us!" Jo Ann exclaimed. "That means we'll have to be extremely careful for a few days. Did she say when the other man'd be back at the village?"

"No, but I'll ask her."

After questioning her closely Florence relayed her answers to the girls. "She doesn't know. Says she thinks he'll come one day soon--maybe about this time next week."

"The vague _mañana_," Peggy summed up. "That means we'll be sitting on top of a volcano for no telling how long."

"I'm so thankful we know of the volcano's existence," Jo Ann replied. She smiled over at the woman with a "_Muchas gracias_. You have been very kind to walk all this way to tell us about the man."

Florence, too, joined in thanking her, then began talking to the anxious-faced Maria. She could see she was worried even more than they themselves. "Don't worry, Maria. José won't let anything happen to us. Will you, José?"

"No, no, Miss Florencita. I will take care of you. But you and Miss Jo and Miss Peggy must be very careful. Stay here at the house unless I am with you. Shall I tell Mr. Eldridge about this?"

"No--well, not yet, anyway." Jo Ann put in hastily. She must get the information to the mystery man, and if she stayed a prisoner in this house all the time, she couldn't get the chance. Mr. Eldridge might not even want her and the girls and Miss Prudence to go to the city, if he knew about this man's threat.

"José, you haven't gone after the mail yet, have you?" Florence asked.

José shook his head. "I am leaving soon."

"Get a burro so this woman can ride home. She must be very tired. I'm sure Mr. Eldridge will not object."

"_Bien._ I get the burro." He gestured to the woman. "Come with me."

"Wait just a minute, José," spoke up Jo Ann. "I want to give her something for her children."

She ran to her room and reappeared in a moment carrying a large box of caramels. She handed them to the woman, saying, "Here are some _dulces_ for your children. We will come back next week for some more _ollas_. You will have some ready then?"

The woman nodded.

Both Maria and the girls felt relieved after the woman and José had gone without Miss Prudence's seeing her.

"I'd have had to tell Miss Prudence everything from A to Z about that woman if she'd seen her," declared Jo Ann. She turned to Maria. "You must not let Miss Prudence know anything about what this woman said. _Sabe_?"

"No--I will not. I know nothing," Maria replied with emphasis, then shrugging her shoulders added, "Miss Prudencia no speak the Spanish. I no speak the English."

"Even if they did speak the same language, Maria wouldn't confide in her," Jo Ann thought. "They can't understand each other. Neither one knows how good and kind the other is. Why is it that women living under the same roof are so often antagonistic to each other?"

Almost the same moment Miss Prudence entered the kitchen, gave Maria a few orders, with Florence as interpreter, then added in a suspicious tone, "I noticed a Mexican woman just leaving the house with a box in her hands. What did Maria give her?"

"Nothing," Florence replied quickly. "Jo Ann gave her a box of caramels for her children. She's the woman Jo Ann bought the jars from. I'm going to get some more from her and from the other villagers and ship them to my friend in St. Louis, who has a curio shop."

When Miss Prudence changed the subject to a discussion of the menu for supper, all three girls were relieved.