AN EXCITING RACE
With a warning honk of her horn Jo Ann sped up and started to pass the
other car.
Almost simultaneously one of the men turned and stared incredulously,
then shouted out a sharp order. The next instant the other man swerved
his car dangerously toward them, trying to force them off into a deep
ditch.
"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 your
head!"
Automatically her nerves and muscles obeyed. She turned her car sharply
and swiftly out toward the ditch as close as she dared, giving it all the
gas that it would take.
For a perilous moment that seemed ages-long to the girls the car hovered
near the edge of the bank. Instinctively both Florence and Peggy leaned
to the other side of the car, as if to make their weight the deciding
factor in keeping the car from falling into the ditch.
Then, to their unbounded relief, their car swept by, missing the other by
a few inches.
"A miracle!" gasped Peggy.
"Keep stepping on it!" implored Peggy as she turned to look back at the
smugglers' car. "They're coming full tilt after us."
"O-oh, hear them yelling at us!" put in Florence, her eyes dilated with
fright. "They're trying to catch us. Step on it! Suppose they should
shoot at us--or our tires!"
Though Jo Ann heard the girls' earnest pleas, she wasted no energy in
replying. Every cell in her brain must be centered on driving. That car
was still dangerously near. They might push past and try that same trick
of forcing her into the ditch on the other side. Moreover, the road ahead
was much steeper and narrower. It wound threadlike up the mountain side.
What if those smugglers should deliberately wait and force them off that
high road! To be knocked off that steep rocky cliff would mean death for
all of them. And what if her engine should go bad up there--or a tire
blow out! "Steady, Jo," she ordered herself. "Stop worrying and
concentrate 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 at
turns in the winding road, she found her breath coming more and more
quickly. 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, Florence
exclaimed, "They're dropping behind a little now! See, Peg!"
"Hot ziggity! They are, sure enough!" cried Peggy, vastly relieved. "I
believe the worst's over. But don't slow down, Jo."
"I won't any more than I have to," Jo Ann replied, cheered immensely by
the girls' assurance that the smugglers were dropping behind in the race.
"Good old Jo--and good old Jitters," praised Florence. "They can't be
beaten."
"Don't brag too soon," Jo Ann found time to say in short, clipped
sentences.
She was determined to keep Jitters running at the greatest speed
possible, and yet not be reckless in making the many sharp curves. With
mind and eyes ever alert, she watched the road. She must be ready for any
emergency.
Florence and Peggy kept turning every minute or two to watch the pursuing
car.
"It's losing ground right along," Peggy kept saying, ending each time
with, "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 like
being on the safe side," she told herself. "They might gain on us on the
down grade."
After they were on the downward stretch, both girls assured her that they
believed the danger was over. "They'll never catch us now unless we have
engine 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. One
of 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 asked
suddenly.
Both girls smiled, and Peggy went on, "She'd have had heart failure or
something by this time."
"No, she wouldn't," declared Jo Ann. "She'd have rallied to the cause and
encouraged me on, as you two did. When it comes to the test, she's strong
for action and plenty of it."
A few minutes later Florence announced that it would not be long till
they would reach the city. "Do you think we'd better change, Jo, and let
me 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 idea
of stopping.
"I know the shortest way to the market now, and that's where we want to
go first," Jo Ann declared. "I've got to find the mystery man at once, so
he can get on the smugglers' trail."
"It won't be easy for him to follow them even then," Peggy said
thoughtfully. "Can't they go around the city some way?"
"No, that's the only road till they get to the edge of the city," replied
Florence. "They'll probably not come up into the main part."
"I imagine the mystery man'll phone or telegraph to the officers on both
sides of the border to be on the lookout," put in Jo Ann. "They could
catch more of the gang that way."
When Jo Ann turned into the street leading to the market, Florence
remarked, "It'll be no use trying to find a parking place in front of the
market. It's always full. You'll save time by parking in the first empty
place you find within a reasonable distance. I've wasted as much as half
an hour hunting for a parking place down here."
"We mustn't waste any time anyway," Peggy put in. "We have lots of things
to 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 meet
you at that same booth in front, where we waited the other day."
Off she rushed down the street, her fast-flying steps causing more than
one Mexican to say smilingly, "_Americana_."
When Peggy tried to lock the car a few moments later, she found that she
couldn't. "Something's gone wrong with it," she said, handing the key to
Florence. "See if you can make it work."
After several unsuccessful efforts Florence slipped the keys into her
purse, 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 finished
speaking than she caught a glimpse of the newsboy with whom Carlitos had
been so friendly. "Here's the very boy!" she exclaimed, gesturing to him
to come to her.
The boy's large black eyes lit in swift recognition, and he ran over to
her side.
Florence quickly explained to him that she wanted him to watch the car
while she went to the market.
With a nod of assent the boy answered, smiling, "_Sí._ I watch good for
you. You are Carlitos's friend."
"He'll watch it right; we won't have to worry," Florence said confidently
as 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 of
the market to the pottery booth at the back. On reaching the booth she
stared around, anxious-eyed, hunting for the mystery man. Oh, where was
he? There wasn't a sign of him anywhere. He'd said he was always around
here 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, her
eyes scanning every man in sight. "He's not here," she told herself
finally, "and I don't know where else to go to look for him. Oh dear! The
smugglers'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 her
side and said in a low tone, "Don't show your surprise--I'm the man
you're looking for."
The mystery man! Jo Ann barely suppressed a gasp of amazement. Disguised
as a Mexican. The same aquiline nose and gray eyes, but how startlingly
different he looked.
In almost an inaudible voice she told him as quickly as she could about
the smugglers being on the way to the city.
The man's eyes shone on hearing this news. "Good work. We'll follow them
this time and try to get the ringleaders of the gang as well as those
two. I must get word to my men right away on both sides. You're still at
the La Esperanza Mine?"
"Yes."
"I'll let you know how I come out. Many thanks for your help." With that
the man rushed off toward a side exit.
Feeling relieved and happy that she had succeeded in delivering this
message, Jo Ann walked on to the front to look for the girls and found
them, 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 had
success, 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 are
glad, too, aren't we?"
"Sure."
While Peggy and Florence selected the fruit and vegetables, Jo Ann made
the other purchases, chiefly by means of the sign language, as her
Spanish was not sufficient for bargaining. As soon as they had all
finished their buying, Florence found two small Mexican boys to carry
their piles of packages to the car. With the boys at their heels they
started out to the street, Florence in the lead.
Just as she stepped out on the street, Florence caught sight of the
newsboy, his face and head bleeding, almost surrounded by a crowd of
people.
"Gracious! What can have happened to the poor child?" she gasped as she
ran toward him.
As soon as he saw Florence the newsboy began explaining between sobs,
"Oh, señorita, two men--stole--your car! I try to stop them--and one of
them--knock me down."
"Oh, that is terrible!" Florence cried, at the same time scrutinizing his
wounds. "Not deep, but painful," she decided before going on to question
him about the appearance of the men.
Brokenly, the boy began describing the man who had hit him. "He had a
scar--on his chin--and one eye squinted--an evil eye."
"That sounds like the taller one of the smugglers," Florence decided
immediately. "Was he the taller one of the two men?" she asked.
"_Sí._ I try to keep them--from stealing your car, but----" The boy
stopped talking to sob afresh.
"I'm sure you tried," Florence comforted him. "Here is some money." She
handed him some coins and then a clean handkerchief, adding, "Wipe the
blood with this."
A tall professional-looking man stepped up just then and remarked, "I
will look after the boy."
With a "_Muchas gracias_" and an "_Adios_" to the boy, Florence hurried
back to Jo Ann and Peggy, who were standing near by, still wondering what
had happened.