CHAPTER XXVI.--IN MAZATLAN.

It was a long tedious journey to Mazatlan, and it was after noon of the following day when Shirley and Mabel followed their captors from the train upon which they had spent the night and morning.

"I'm glad to get off that train, I don't care what happens," said Mabel as the five made their way through the dingy-looking station.

"I should say so," agreed Shirley. "I'm so sleepy I could fall right over here."

"I managed to get a few winks during the night," returned Mabel. "I curled up in the seat."

"I couldn't sleep that way. I tried, but it was no use."

They had now reached the street side of the station, and here Hernandez signalled a passing cab. Into this the girls were thrust and then the two women and the man climbed in. Hernandez gave an address to the driver, and the cab whirled away.

None of the occupants saw a man, who had been loitering about the station when the train pulled in, hail a second cab and come after them. This was the man who had been delegated to shadow them upon the request, by wire, of Consul Edwards at Acapulco.

To Shirley and Mabel it seemed that they rode through the streets of the city for hours before the cab stopped its bumping and drew up before a typical Mexican native house in the outskirts of the town. Hernandez and the two women climbed out, and the girls followed them into the house.

The man in the pursuing cab ordered his driver to halt while still some distance away. Then he dismissed the driver and approached the house afoot. He saw the five figures enter the dwelling and approached no nearer, but took a stand some distance away, where from time to time, he looked at his watch.

An hour passed, then two, and at length the man turned and walked away.

Inside the house Shirley and Mabel had been shown to a back room, the windows of which they saw were heavily barred. Mrs. Sebastian accompanied them.

"Now girls," she said, "if you are quiet and make no trouble, I am sure that you will be freed before long."

"You mean we won't have to wait for ransom?" asked Shirley eagerly.

"No, I don't mean that. But I am sure the money will be paid over within a day or two."

"And we shall have to stay here all that time?"

"Yes. I wish I could interest you in our cause. You could do lots for us if you chose."

"Thanks, but I don't care to listen to the troubles of criminals," declared Shirley.

The woman's face turned red.

"You do us an injustice," she replied. "What I have done has been for my country."

"I thought you were a Spaniard," interrupted Mabel.

"I am, on my mother's side," was the reply. "My father was a Mexican."

"Well, I wouldn't be mixed up in any such business," declared Mabel. "I think you should be punished for the manner in which you got us in your power."

"But it was for my country. Surely you can understand that?"

"No, I can't understand it," declared Shirley. "It's robbery that you are attempting."

The woman shrugged her shoulders.

"There is no use talking to you," she said.

She went out of the room, locking the door behind her.

"Well, here we are," said Mabel, with a wry look at her chum. "Now, what are we going to do?"

"I wish we could escape," declared Shirley. "I'll tell you what. The next time we hear any one coming, we'll stand behind the door, and as soon as they come in we'll slip out and run. If we can reach the street some one may help us."

"There will be no harm trying," Mabel agreed. "They won't hurt us, I am sure."

It was several hours later before they had the opportunity of putting their plan to the test.

"Quick! Here comes some one!" whispered Shirley.

She took her stand behind the door and Mabel joined her there. A key turned in the lock, and the door swung slowly inward. The girls were out of sight behind the door.

Mrs. Sebastian, being unable to see them, advanced into the room with a startled exclamation, and looked hurriedly about. Seizing a moment when the woman was looking the other way, Shirley, closely followed by Mabel, dashed from her place of concealment and out the door.

Mabel was just disappearing through the door when Mrs. Sebastian wheeled suddenly about and caught sight of her. The woman sprang forward with a cry, but Mabel, in passing, had seized the knob of the door and pulled it to after her.

It was the work of an instant to turn the key in the lock, and Mrs. Sebastian was safe in the girls' recent prison.

"Now what?" said Shirley when Mabel had come up to her.

From the room they had just quitted a series of blows were rained on the door, and Mrs. Sebastian's voice could be heard calling for help.

"No one knows she's in there so if the disturbance is heard they'll think it is us," declared Mabel. "If we are silent and careful now, we may be able to get out."

Shirley advanced cautiously and peered into the next room. Then she returned to Mabel.

"No getting out that way," she whispered.

Mabel advanced and looked into the room beyond. In it sat Hernandez and his wife.

Shirley nodded her head.

"No, we can't get out there," she agreed.

The girls looked about for some other means of escape.

They now stood in what appeared to be a long and narrow hall, and at Shirley's whispered suggestion they went back along it. Far to the rear they could see a faint beam of light and Shirley's heart beat faster with renewed hope.

At last they came to a high window, through which the light streamed. It was out of reach of the girls, but Shirley found a chair which she dragged forth and mounted. Her shoulders now were on a level with the window.

The girl uttered an exclamation of satisfaction.

"What is it, Shirley?" asked Mabel breathlessly.

"We can get out here," was the reply, "the window is not barred."

"Hurry then," cried Mabel anxiously. "I'll come right after you."

Shirley wasted no further words. She drew herself to the sill, and looked down. Then she shuddered slightly. It was a long drop, fully twenty feet.

But Shirley did not hesitate, for she realized that the jump must be taken. She lowered herself until she clung to the window with her hands, then released her hold and dropped.

She fell in a sprawling heap, and she felt a sharp pain in her ankle. In spite of this, she was up in an instant, however, and turned her eyes to the window, where Mabel's head had just appeared.

The latter drew herself to the window sill, and then glanced down at the ground.

"I can't do it, Shirley," she exclaimed.

"Of course you can," called her chum. "Lower yourself as far as you can and then drop."

Mabel maneuvered about the window trying to get into such a position that she could lower herself. But her fright was such that she was afraid to loose her hold long enough to change her position. She looked down at Shirley helplessly.

"I tell you I can't," she declared.

"But you must, Mabel," replied Shirley anxiously. "Hurry!"

Again Mabel moved about, but the result was the same.

"Mabel! Jump!" cried Shirley.

Mabel now began to cry, as she moved about a little on her perch.

"I--I--can't, Sh-Shirley," she said. "I am afraid!"

"My goodness!" muttered Shirley to herself. "What shall I do? I can't climb back up there after her."

She considered the matter for several moments, the while Mabel sat in the window and sobbed. Then Shirley reached a decision, and acted immediately.

"Quick, Mabel! Here comes Hernandez!" cried Shirley.

Mabel's hesitancy and fright vanished on the instant. Quickly she lowered herself by her hands and dropped to the ground. She fell in a heap, but was unhurt and was up again in a moment.

"Where is he?" she asked.

Shirley was forced to laugh.

"I just said that to get you down," she returned. "If I hadn't you would have stayed up there all day."

Mabel's tension also relaxed, and the girls moved slowly away from the house, Shirley finding that her ankle had stopped hurting and was not even swollen.

"Where shall we go?" asked Mabel.

"American consulate, I reckon," replied the girl, "if we can find it."

"We must find it," said Mabel firmly.

"Yes but how. Neither of us can speak Spanish."

"Then we must find a Mexican who speaks English. We should have no trouble doing that."

The girls had been walking along rapidly, for they wished to put as much space as possible between them and their recent prison; but at the same time they did not run for they did not wish to attract attention by the appearance of undue haste.

Suddenly there came a cry from behind. Unconsciously both girls stopped in their tracks and looked back over their shoulders. But one look was enough.

"Run!"

"Run!" cried Shirley in the same breath.

Dashing after them as fast as his stout body would permit, was Hernandez.

Shirley and Mabel wasted no time in deciding what was best to be done.

Keeping as close to each other as possible, they took to their heels and dashed madly along the street.