CHAPTER XVI

ON A DANGEROUS TRAIL

As Florence led the way back to the store, she told José of their plans to get the horses and follow the man and Carlitos. “Can you guide us across the mountains to the mine?”

“_Sí_, señorita, I _sabe_. I take you there.”

A few minutes later the three were back at the store, and Florence had succeeded in getting her father on the telephone. It was anything but easy for her to make him understand at first about Carlitos’ disappearance and their desire to hunt for him. When she finally made the situation clear, a note of excitement came into his voice.

“I’m glad you’ve phoned,” he told her, “because I’ve just got in touch with a man by the name of Eldridge who, I believe, is Carlitos’ uncle. Ask José again the name of that mine Carlitos’ father owned, and get him to tell you as nearly as possible where it is. I want to be sure that that is the mine and Carlitos the boy that this man Eldridge has been hunting.”

Florence quickly turned to José. “Didn’t you say the name of the mine was La Esperanza?”

“_Sí_,” José nodded.

“Tell me again how you get there.”

With many gestures José told her as nearly as he could where the mine was located. “Over that mountain to the east,” he kept saying, pointing to the range beyond.

As soon as Florence repeated José’s answer to her father, he replied that he would telegraph at once to Mr. Eldridge. The name and location of the mine, he said, corresponded with what he had told him.

“But, Daddy,” Florence put in, in a pleading tone, “if we don’t find Carlitos right away I’m afraid it’ll be too late. We’re afraid that mean boss’ll do something terrible to him—maybe kill him. We’re sure the boss is back of this kidnaping. The reason José left the mine was to keep that man from getting Carlitos. We must go right now and hunt for him. We know the kidnaper has started toward the mine with him.”

“Tell your father if we get horses we’re sure we can overtake the man and Carlitos, because they had only a burro,” burst out Jo Ann eagerly.

Florence nodded and repeated her words over the telephone.

After a momentary silence Dr. Blackwell answered slowly, “Well, as soon as I send the telegram to Mr. Eldridge, I’ll start for the mine too. I’m sure I can get there before you do, as I’ve found an Indian guide who knows where it is. I want to be there before you arrive, in case any trouble should come up. I can’t have you girls risking your necks, even to save Carlitos.”

“Oh, I’m so glad you’ll be there!” Florence replied.

Jo Ann’s eyes shone as she heard Florence’s answer. She knew that meant that they could start following the kidnaper and Carlitos right away. As soon as Florence put up the receiver, she caught her by the hand, saying, “Let’s hurry as fast’s we can and get the horses.”

“Not yet. I’ve got to write a note to Mother first and give it to the man who brings our mail. He can take the burros back to Juan, too.”

While Florence was still speaking, Jo Ann began looking about impatiently for some paper. “I can’t get used to stores not having wrapping paper as they do back home,” she said. A few moments later the storekeeper unearthed a scrap of soiled brown paper and proudly handed it to Florence.

She hastily scratched a few lines to her mother, explaining the situation and the new plan.

To Jo Ann’s annoyance a half hour passed before they could find the man who carried the mail and arrange to get the horses and everything else they needed.

When, at last, they were actually mounted on the horses and had started off down the road, Jo Ann gave a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness we’re on the way at last. Let’s ride fast now, because we’ll have to slow down when we reach the mountain.”

She tapped her horse sharply on his neck with her switch, and off she galloped, Florence and José following closely.

When they reached the foot of the mountain, Florence called to Jo Ann, “We’ll have to let José lead the way from now on. He says we leave the road here.”

Somewhat reluctantly Jo Ann checked her horse’s pace to allow José to lead. Slowly and in single file they began winding their way up a rocky trail. After about an hour’s climb it became so steep and narrow that even Jo Ann, experienced rider that she was, began to grow nervous.

With the towering wall of rock on her right and the deep canyon below, she realized that if her horse should make a single misstep it might be fatal. She shuddered at the thought of how easy it would be for the kidnaper to make away with Carlitos in such a place as this. One little push would mean death.

“Florence,” she called back, “I’ve been thinking how easy it’d be to make away with anyone in such a wild, lonesome spot. You don’t think that man’d push Carlitos off this precipice, do you?”

“No, no,” Florence called back quickly. “I’m sure he’ll take him on to the mine. That mean boss wouldn’t pay him a large sum of money till he was sure he had the right boy.”

“I believe you’re right.” Encouraged by Florence’s words, Jo Ann rode on in better spirits. “If that kidnaper takes Carlitos clear to the mine, then we’ll be sure to overtake them,” she thought.

About half an hour later, as the horses were struggling up an unusually steep place, Jo Ann suddenly cried out a sharp, “José, stop!”

Startled, José checked his horse and looked back.

Jo Ann pointed down at a boy’s hat caught on a sharp point of rock jutting out from the edge of the cliff. “See! Carlitos’ hat!”

“_Ay Dios!_ I have fear that it is the hat of Carlitos.” He leaped off his horse and began hunting about for a stick with which to reach the hat. Finally, having found a long stick, he leaned over as far as he dared and carefully worked the stick up under the frayed edge of the hat. Both girls sprang off their horses to watch his efforts.

When at last he had the hat in his hands, he exclaimed, “_Dios mio!_ It is his hat!” He pointed to the cord around the crown. “The grandmother made this cord for him.”

Jo Ann suddenly gasped and pointed down into the abyss-like gorge. “Oh, José, do you think Carlitos——” She broke off in the middle of her sentence, shuddering at the thought of Carlitos hurled down over the jagged rocks to the bottom of the gorge hundreds of feet below.

Florence broke in quickly, “Maybe his hat just blew off. If he had fallen over, we ought to be able to see some sign of loosened rocks or broken bushes where he slipped.”

She and Jo Ann, as well as José, began searching for some sign along the edge of the precipice. After a few moments Jo Ann walked up the trail a short distance and, leaning over, examined the path.

All at once her face lit. “Florence! José! Come here—look!” she called.

At the joyous note in Jo Ann’s voice both Florence and José came up to her side and stared down at the footprints in the limestone dust.

“See,” she said. “These small prints were made by Carlitos’ bare feet. They’re just his size.”

“_Sí, sí_,” José agreed. He pointed to some larger footprints beside them. “And these are made by the sandals of the man who is taking him off. And here’re the burro’s marks.”

Both Jo Ann and Florence drew deep sighs of relief. “I feel more certain than ever now that the man’ll take him clear to the mine.”

The next moment Jo Ann frowned and pointed to the ground a few feet ahead. “That rascal made Carlitos get off the burro so he could ride. See! There’re no signs of his footprints from there on—just Carlitos’ and the burro’s.”

“I believe you’re right,” Florence agreed. “I wonder if it’s very far to the mine now.” She turned to José, “How much farther is it to the mine?”

“Three or four more hours and we’ll be there.”

“I didn’t think it was that far. Why, it’ll be dark before we get there.” There was a note of anxiety in Florence’s voice.

Jo Ann shivered. “How in the world will we ever get over this trail in the dark? It’s scary enough in the daylight. Let’s hurry and get going.”

Soon all three were on their horses again and climbing steadily upward. After they had ridden about an hour, the trail began to drop downward.

“Wh—ew!” Jo Ann ejaculated. “I’ve ridden horses in lots of places, but nothing like this toboggan slide.”

Just as she was finishing this sentence, José’s horse dropped back on his haunches, his four feet braced together, and began sliding in the loose gravel of the almost perpendicular incline.

Both girls caught their breath.

The next moment Jo Ann felt her horse begin to slide. A feeling of horror overwhelmed her. She realized that she had no control over him whatsoever. Would her horse and Florence’s be able to keep from slipping over the edge of that horrible precipice?