CHAPTER XXI

WELCOME GUESTS

The next morning the girls waited anxiously for José to return from his trip to the village for the mail. They had wanted to go with him, but Miss Prudence had vetoed that plan with, "The sun's so hot today, and Jo Ann's looking so pale, that I believe you'd better not take that long horseback ride. I think I'd better begin giving her some of my iron-strychnine tonic."

Jo Ann shook her head vigorously. "Oh, no, I don't need any tonic! Indeed I don't. Don't waste any of your medicine on me. When it's gone you'd probably have to send back to the States for some more."

"Well, I'll wait two or three days; then, if you're not looking better by that time, you'll have to take that tonic without fail." Miss Prudence's voice was firm.

When the family sat down to eat their lunch, José had not yet returned from the village.

Noticing that Carlitos was not at the table, Peggy inquired of Miss Prudence about him.

"He went with José after the mail," she replied.

No sooner had she finished her sentence than Carlitos burst into the room, his blue eyes round and dark in his excitement. With his Spanish words tumbling over each other in his haste he blurted out, "Ah, senoritas, your automobile--it is stolen. Terrible!"

Not being able to understand him, Miss Prudence and Peggy stared wonderingly. Jo Ann's and Florence's faces, however, flamed scarlet with embarrassment.

"The cat's out of the bag now," flashed through Jo Ann's mind. "We'll have to tell the whole tale." She could feel Mr. Eldridge's eyes boring into hers.

The next moment Miss Prudence ordered sternly, "Carlitos, speak English! Tell me what's happened."

In halting English Carlitos repeated that the girls' car had been stolen.

"Stolen!" ejaculated Miss Prudence. "What next?" She turned to her brother. "Do you suppose that Luis could've stolen it?"

"No. The girls drove to the city after Luis was taken prisoner."

By this time Jo Ann had recovered her wits sufficiently to say slowly, "The car was stolen when we were in the city."

"My stars!" Miss Prudence gasped. "Why--why didn't you tell us before this? The idea of your not saying one word all this time! And you might've been stolen--kidnaped--yourselves!"

"Don't get so flustered, Prue," Mr. Eldridge advised. "The girls're safe and sound if their car isn't." He looked over at Jo Ann. "Begin at the first and tell us exactly what happened. Florence, you and Peggy put in all the details she misses."

Thus commanded, Jo Ann took a long breath and plunged into the story, beginning at her first anxiety over the mystery man's presentiment about his going to be killed. From that she went on to their discovery of the smugglers' car in the desert, their finding them in the village, and her reporting all this to the mystery man.

Other than a few exclamations and gasps Miss Prudence did not interrupt. But when Jo Ann stopped to catch her breath, she threw in, "Well, after all this wild adventure, I'll be afraid to let you girls stick your noses outside the door. And here I'd thought all this time I was the perfect chaperon."

The expression of stupefied amazement on his sister's face made Mr. Eldridge smile half whimsically and say, "I've learned not to be amazed at anything this trio pulls off. There're still several points not clear in my mind, though." He began hurling question after question at the girls, till each felt as if she were being cross-examined on the witness stand.

Finally he was satisfied that he had gathered together all the loose ends of the story. His face was grave as he said, "I'm glad it's all turned out as it has--so far, but hereafter don't get tangled up in any way whatever with smugglers. They're a dangerous set, as Mr. Andrews told you. Most of them would as soon shoot our officers as not. Indeed, they seem to look upon them as good targets for their practice. The next time you suspect anyone of being a smuggler, come tell me about it."

So earnest and emphatic had Mr. Eldridge been that for the first time Jo Ann realized fully the risks she had been running. "I'm through with smugglers and their affairs from now on," she declared. "I was more to blame for getting mixed up in this than Peggy and Florence. They'd have kept out of it if it hadn't been for me."

Florence spoke up promptly and began trying to share the blame, but Jo Ann shook her head. "No, I'm the guilty one."

After this well-deserved lecture Jo Ann felt "indigo blue," as she expressed it to the girls afterward. "If I could only hear from Mr. Andrews that he's all right and that the smugglers were caught and the car found!"

The next day dragged on interminably, so it seemed to Jo Ann in her low state of mind.

"Oh, cheer up, Jo," Peggy finally begged. "You're going to get good news tomorrow, I feel it in my bones."

"I hope your bones're trustworthy," Jo Ann returned; "but I have my doubts about their power to prophesy."

On the morning of the fourth day Jo Ann woke in a more cheerful mood. "I believe we're going to hear from Mr. Andrews today," she told the girls.

Peggy smiled. "Your bones must be getting prophetic, too."

When José appeared at noon with a letter from Mr. Andrews, Peggy and Florence were quite as excited as Jo Ann.

"Hurry up!" Peggy implored, as Jo Ann began to open it.

"Read it out loud--hurry!" urged Florence.

In another moment Jo Ann had unfolded the letter. "Why, it has only three lines in it! It just says, 'All is well. Am bringing your car Saturday afternoon to San Geronimo. Hope to get there by four o'clock.'"

Jo Ann's face was beaming by this time. "Just think! He's all right--and so's Jitters!"

"Gr-and!" chimed in Peggy, catching Jo Ann and Florence by the hands and circling about in lively dancing steps.

While they were still whirling about, Miss Prudence entered the room.

Jo Ann checked her fast-flying feet and sang out, "We've swell, elegant news! The mystery man's alive, and he's bringing our car to the village this afternoon--about four o'clock."

"Well, I'm certainly glad to hear that!" Miss Prudence exclaimed. "Let's see--if he reaches the village that late, he'll probably come on out here. We must have a good dinner for him. That's fine of him, bringing your car all that distance. Suppose you girls come to the kitchen and help me awhile. I'll see that he gets some good New England cooking."

Jo Ann grinned. "That lets us girls out. We're from the South."

Miss Prudence came back promptly with, "You're all good help just the same. Come along."

The three girls followed her to the kitchen and were soon busy helping her prepare the salad and dessert. So diligently did they work that they had finished before it was time for José to go to the village with the horses for the two men to ride.

"Let's go with José," Jo Ann suggested.

"All right," agreed Peggy and Florence.

All three hurried off at once to change into their riding outfits.

When, about two hours later, they came in sight of Pedro's store, Jo Ann's sharp eyes spied two cars in front of the building. "One of the cars is a brand-new one. A beauty."

"Maybe it's Mr. Andrews's," Peggy suggested.

"That other one's his, I know. I wonder where he's parked Jitters. I don't see her."

"I hope nothing has happened to her," put in Florence.

With their faces lit by the broadest smiles, the three sprang from their horses and greeted Mr. Andrews, who had hurried out to meet them, Mr. Gonzales following closely behind him.

"Oh, we're so happy you're safe and sound--that you're both all right!" Jo Ann welcomed them.

"We certainly are, too, aren't we?" added Peggy.

Florence nodded. "Yes, indeed."

"Did you capture the smugglers--all of them?" Jo Ann asked eagerly in the next breath.

Mr. Andrews smiled. "Not all of them; but the three ringleaders and the two whose trail you set me following are behind prison bars. That gang's broken to bits; I can breathe more freely now. If it hadn't been for you, I might be dead. I'm certainly grateful to you."

Jo Ann drew a long sigh of relief, as did the other two girls. "That certainly is grand news," she added the next moment.

"I hope that's the last experience you girls'll ever have of that kind," he said earnestly.

A moment's silence fell; then Jo Ann asked, "Where's Jitters?" Suddenly recalling that neither man knew the name of their car, she added, smiling, "Our old Ford, I mean."

The two men exchanged smiles before Mr. Andrews answered, "Jitters is a complete wreck--in a deep gully near the border."

A look of utter bewilderment appeared on the face of each girl.

In another moment Jo Ann recovered sufficiently to say haltingly, "But--you wrote--you were bringing our car."

"I did bring it. There it is!" Mr. Andrews gestured to the shining new car. "It's a present for the assistance you girls have given us--to take the place of your Jitters."

Three pairs of eyes flew open to their widest. So overwhelming was their amazement that for once none of them could speak for a full minute.

"You have done much for us," Mr. Gonzales spoke up, smiling. "You have probably saved my life as well as Mr. Andrews's. _Muchas gracias_."

"But--but, Mr. Andrews--Mr. Gonzales," began Jo Ann confusedly. "We do not deserve this fine new car. You must not give us such a----"

"You have more than earned it," smiled Mr. Andrews. "It is yours by rights. We owe you more than we can ever repay you."

Convinced at last that the car was rightfully theirs, the girls began to exclaim delightedly:

"Grand!"

"Gorgeous!"

"Wonderful!"

"A thousand thanks from each one of us," added Jo Ann, shining-eyed.

With that the three of one accord ran over to the car to inspect it and revel in its beauty.

"We'll feel so elegant--so swanky, riding about in this car!" exclaimed Jo Ann.

They climbed inside then to admire the upholstery and shining gadgets.

A few minutes later Jo Ann was proudly driving out of the village, the two men following in the other car, and José with the aid of a small boy bringing along the horses.

"Won't Miss Prudence and Mr. Eldridge be surprised when they hear about our new car?" Peggy remarked.

Jo Ann smiled broadly. "Miss Prudence was always scared of Jitters. She'll be delighted."

"What shall we name it?" Florence asked a moment later.

Peggy suddenly chuckled. "How about naming it for Miss Prudence? It's so shining and spotlessly clean. And besides, that name might help Jo to be more prudent--less reckless."

"That name suits me," laughed Jo Ann.

"And me," added Florence. "And I believe it'll please Miss Prudence, especially when we explain why we've chosen the name."

* * * * * *

Transcriber's note:

--Copyright notice provided as in the original--this e-text is public domain in the country of publication.

--A Table of Contents was added for the reader's convenience.

--Obvious typographical errors were corrected without comment.

--Non-standard spellings and dialect were left unchanged.