The Secret of Casa Grande

by Roy J. Snell

  CHAPTER VI JO ANN'S PREDICAMENT

  "What are you going to do?" called Florence. "You'll be sick if you stayup there in the hot sun all the afternoon."

  "Well, I don't see anything else to do till the workmen leave," answeredJo Ann. "If you'll get me that parasol, it won't be so bad. There's anice breeze, but the sun's terrific."

  "How in the world do you think we can get the parasol up to you?" askedPeggy. "Do you think we can fly up there with it?"

  "Silly! Just get my rope--it's in my trunk--and throw one end up to meand tie the parasol on the other; then I'll pull it up."

  "That sounds easy enough," Peggy admitted. "I'll run and get it rightaway."

  She was starting away when Florence put in, "Wait a minute; I'll go withyou. Felipe might be at the door, and we mustn't let him see the rope. Itmight rouse his curiosity."

  "Choke him--chloroform him!" called down Jo Ann crisply. "Anything, onlyget the parasol, qu-i-ck. I'll be done to a turn if I stay up here muchlonger without it."

  The two girls hurried on to their room. As soon as Peggy had taken thecoil of rope from the trunk, she slipped it inside the parasol, saying,"This is the way we brought the rope into the house without Felipe'sseeing it, so we can do it again."

  As they were entering the hall Felipe stopped them. "Have you found MissAnita?" he asked, using the Spanish word for Jo Ann's second name,Annette, rather than the longer name of Josephine.

  "Yes, she's here," Florence answered quickly, hurrying off.

  On reaching the balcony Peggy whistled softly several times, and Jo Ann'shead appeared over the ledge.

  "Got it? Fine! Pitch it up to me," she called in a loud whisper asFlorence put her finger to her lips and motioned toward the office.

  Straightening out the rope, Peggy tossed one end of it into the air. Upit sailed, then fell dangling over the balcony rail.

  "It's a good thing I had hold of the other end," she laughed. "This grassrope is so stiff, it won't go straight."

  "It would if you'd throw it straight," scoffed Jo Ann. "Coil it up again.I believe it'll be easier to throw that way and pitch it straight up."

  Obeying directions, Peggy tried again, only to fail once more. Seeing howfar Jo Ann was leaning over the wall in her effort to catch the rope, sheexclaimed, "Oh, Jo, don't lean over so far! You make me nervous."

  "Well, it looks as if I'll have to hang by my feet to catch anything youthrow. If you just knew how hot it was up here!"

  "Don't fuss! I'll try again, but this balcony is so narrow that I can'tswing my arm. Now, ready? Here goes!"

  Up sailed the coil of rope, straight into Jo Ann's outstretched hands.

  "Whew! It's a good thing I didn't miss again," gasped Peggy. "That waswork, believe me!"

  Quickly she fastened the parasol to the lowered end of the rope, and JoAnn drew it up over the edge of the roof.

  Perched on the wall of the roof, high above the city, her feet danglingand the parasol over her head, Jo Ann presented a queer, almostridiculous appearance, but to Florence and Peggy her position seemedanything but amusing.

  So dangerous did it look that Peggy cried out in alarm, "Jo! Forgoodness' sake get off that wall! Haven't you got into enough trouble forone day?"

  "Oh, this would be great," Jo Ann called back, "if the wall weren't sohot. There's a gorgeous view and a delightful breeze--what more could youask for?" She drifted gaily into one of the popular songs of the day.

  "_Just picture a penthouse, 'way up in the sky,_ _With hinges on chimneys, for clouds to go by._"

  "How can you joke about anything so serious?" asked Florence in atroubled voice. "Oh, here comes Dad with a patient! We'll have to leave."

  "I'll give you the signal as soon as we come back," Peggy called softly.

  Since the office opened with full-length, double doors directly onto thebalcony, making it almost a part of the room, they hurried toward thedoor. Before they reached it, however, they met Dr. Blackwell and a tall,dignified man, who, with true Mexican courtesy, bowed politely and beggedtheir pardon for having disturbed them.

  As soon as the two girls were inside the bedroom, Florence askedanxiously, "What are we going to do about Jo Ann? I'm afraid she'll besick if she stays up there much longer in that hot sun."

  "I am, too," Peggy replied, "but I don't know what on earth we can do.Isn't there any other possible way except the scaffold that she can getdown?"

  Florence shook her head.

  Every few minutes they stopped talking long enough to peep out to see ifthe coast were clear. After what seemed a long time to them, they heardvoices in the hall, and to their relief they saw Dr. Blackwell and hispatient disappear down the stairs. In a few minutes Felipe followed withthe bag.

  "Except for Juana we have the house to ourselves now," Florence remarkedas they hurried into the office.

  On reaching the balcony Peggy gave the signal to Jo Ann.

  "I thought you'd never come back," Jo Ann called down softly almostbefore the sound had died away. "And I'm dying to tell you something."

  "You don't have to whisper now," Florence put in. "Dad and Felipe havegone out, and we can stay here and talk to you without fear ofinterruption."

  "Fine! Luck seems to be with me at last," replied Jo Ann. "While I'vebeen up here alone, I've done some serious thinking, and I have awonderful plan worked out."

  "It's about time you did some serious thinking," returned Peggy.

  "I'm sorry I got in this mess, but if you can only get me the things Ineed, I'll be standing down there beside you in a jiffy."

  Peggy grinned up at her. "If it's a sheet for a parachute, I won't getit."

  "Silly! I want an iron bar and a hammer, or something heavy."

  "You're not going to drop them on the workmen, are you?" queried Florencewith a half smile.

  Jo Ann laughed. "I'm really quite harmless, but while I was climbing uphere I noticed that the scaffold was held in an upright position by pegsdriven into the wall, and that gave me an idea. Why can't I drive a peginto this wall and fasten the rope to it, and then let myself down to thebalcony? Doesn't that sound simple?"

  "Why--yes--it does," Peggy admitted slowly. "But where'll we find theiron bar and something heavy enough to drive it with?"

  "There ought to be a hammer around here somewhere," Florence put inquickly. "Come on, and we'll see if we can find it and the iron bar."

  "If you can't find an iron bar," called Jo Ann, "maybe I could use an oldbroom handle, if you'd make a point on one end of it."

  "All right," they called as they disappeared into the room.

  Entering the kitchen, they found Juana huddled in a chair by thefireplace, asleep.

  Slipping by her, Florence took a small hammer out of a cupboard, andhanded it to Peggy, saying in a low voice, "Now, if we can find an ironbar, we'll be fixed."

  Peggy smiled and whispered, "Why, Florence, this is only a little tackhammer. You couldn't drive anything into a stone wall with this--not in athousand years."

  "I'm sure that's the only one we have," Florence answered in a troubledvoice. "You see, since we can't use nails in this house, we seldom haveany use for a hammer."

  Peggy began staring around. "I'll look and see what I can find."

  "Sh!" warned Florence. "Let's not wake Juana if we can help it."

  Together they slipped quietly about the room, picking up first one objectand then another, only to lay it down again in disgust.

  At the very moment that Peggy spied something that would do, Juana openedher eyes and asked in Spanish, "What is it, Florencita? Do you wish me tomake you the _merienda_?"

  "Why--no, we don't care for anything to eat now," Florence repliedslowly. "But we would like to have something to drink. Please go down tothe drugstore and get some limeades." She turned to Peggy. "I've orderedlimeades. I know Jo'd like to have a cold drink."

  The minute Juana disappeared through the door, Peggy stepped over to themiddle s
ection of the fireplace. "Here's the very thing," she said,picking up one of the stones Juana used to set her earthen griddle onwhen cooking on the fireplace. "And look here," she added excitedly,"Here's a piece of iron--the very thing we need. Now let's hurry. I knowJo's tired waiting."

  "How silly of me not to think of these things!" exclaimed Florence."Juana uses that piece of iron to poke her fire with. Let's hope shedoesn't decide to make _tortillas_ any time soon, or she'll miss thestone."

  Together they rushed out into the hall, then stopped on catching aglimpse of Felipe at his post just outside the office door.

  "What in the world is he doing back?" whispered Peggy as she stopped. "IsDr. Blackwell in his office, do you suppose?"

  Slipping into the dining room, they stared blankly at each other. Howcould they get the things to Jo Ann now?

  "I know what we can do!" exclaimed Florence, running to the china closet."Put the stone on this plate." She placed a plate on the table. "Now I'llspread a napkin over it; then it'll look as if you're carrying a plate ofsandwiches out on the balcony. I'll hide the piece of iron under mydress, like this."

  "Fine!" approved Peggy, her lips curving into a wide smile.

  On entering the hall Felipe appeared and explained that _el doctor_ hadsent him back to take the young ladies for a drive, as he would not needthe car for one or two hours.

  "I'll ask the girls and let you know," Peggy replied in Spanish, andadded, "Call me when Juana brings the limeades."

  Peggy hastened onto the balcony and, resting the plate on the rail,whistled twice. As Jo peeped down from above, she called up gaily, hereyes twinkling, "Just see the plate of sandwiches I've brought you.Aren't you hungry?"

  "Well--yes, I could enjoy a sandwich," Jo Ann replied, trying to coverher disappointment, "but didn't you get any of the other things I askedfor?"

  "This is all we could find." Laughing mischievously, Peggy lifted thenapkin.

  "Oh, Peg, you big tease!" Jo Ann exclaimed. "I might have known you wereup to some mischief. Didn't you bring the piece of iron or a broomstick?"

  "Here it is," called Florence, slipping the piece of iron out and holdingit up.

  "That's the very thing--but why all the secrecy?"

  "Well, Felipe was at the door, so I thought we'd better use thiscamouflage."

  "I see. I'll let my rope down now; but how in the world are you going tofasten the rock to it, Peggy?"

  "I don't know," Peggy replied thoughtfully. "Even if I tie the ropearound it a couple of times, it's likely to fall out, and a stone aslarge as this is heavy enough to kill anyone if it should hit him on thehead." She gave a little sudden start. "I know what to do!"

  Spreading the napkin on the floor and placing the stone in the exactcenter, she picked up the opposite corners of the napkin and tied a tightsquare knot; then tied another one with the other corners. When she hadslipped the rope under both securely, she heard Felipe coming in theoffice door.

  She sprang to her feet while Florence ran into the office to keep himfrom coming onto the balcony.

  "I'll take the limeades, Felipe," she told him, taking the tray he wascarrying.

  Instead of leaving immediately he lingered a moment to ask how long itwould be before they would be ready to go for a drive.

  For a few seconds she hesitated, then replied, "I think they'll be readyin about half an hour." Jo Ann had seemed so sure she could get down, butmaybe---- "If they're not ready by that time, I'll let you know."

  As soon as he had left the office Florence hastened back to the balcony.By that time Jo Ann had successfully pulled the stone up to the roof andhad lowered the rope for the iron bar.

  The moment she had the piece of iron in her hands, she hopped off the lowwall and eagerly set to work. Kneeling on the flat surface of the roof,she held the iron bar firmly against the inside of the wall with her lefthand and struck it a heavy blow with the stone.

  The next instant the iron bar sprang back, knocking the stone out of herhand and striking her foot a glancing blow.

  "Oh--my foot!" she cried in muffled tones, hopping around the roof on theother foot.

  "I can't stop for a little thing like this," she decided shortly, settingresolutely to work again.

  Less confident of her success, she struck the iron lightly and carefullythis time, but without making the slightest impress in the wall. Drivinga peg into a stone wall was not the simple thing she had imagined it tobe.

  "I know it can be done, and I'm going to do it," she told herselfdeterminedly. "If I can only find the seam between the stones, I know Ican drive it into the mortar."

  After slowly chipping the plaster away over a foot or more in diameter,she found an upright seam. Her arms ached from the unusual strain; herhands and face were covered with grime and plaster dust; and perspirationtrickled down her face, streaking it.

  Nevertheless, she worked on persistently and at last found thecross-seam. Eagerly placing the bar in position, she began driving itinto the mortar between the stones. She struck it very carefully atfirst, then harder and harder.

  "No wonder these houses last forever," she thought. "I never saw anythingso hard in my life. This one'll stand here several centuries more and notshow the least signs of wear."

  With a last effort she struck the iron several more blows; then, puttingher whole weight on it to test its strength, she heaved a sigh of relief.It did not budge a particle. Fastening the rope securely, she threw theend over the wall. Everything was ready now.

  While waiting for Florence and Peggy to return with the implements, shehad tied several knots in the rope and made two loops near the upper end,and now, lying flat, she peered over the edge of the wall to see if theloops came in exactly the right place, just over the edge of the roof.

  "All set! Here I come!" she called joyously to the girls waiting below.

  "Oh, Jo, do be careful! You might fall," urged Florence.

  So intent was Jo Ann in getting over the edge of the roof that she paidno attention to Florence's warning. Climbing over a wall two feet or morethick was quite a different proposition from getting over a board fence.She could not back off, and the smooth plaster offered a poor fingerholdwhile she was catching the loops in the rope.

  Finally, sitting on the edge of the wall, she leaned forward and reachedfor the upper loop. Grasping the loop firmly with one hand and pressingthe fingers of her other hand against the plaster, she stretched her foottoward the other loop. But when within an inch or two of it, she suddenlyslipped off the wall.

  She gasped in terror. Down she dropped. Her arm felt as if it surelywould be pulled from its socket as the entire weight of her body jerkedon it. Could she hang with one hand? What if the sudden jerk should pullthe rope loose from the peg? Desperately she clung to the loop. Then,regaining her balance, she wrapped her legs around the rope. Slowly,carefully she slipped from knot to knot. Four strong young arms caughther before her feet touched the floor of the balcony.

  "Oh, Jo! Jo! I thought you'd be killed, sure," cried Florence, tearsstreaming down her cheeks. "I was so frightened!"

  "I was so scared I shut my eyes tight to keep from seeing you killed,"added Peggy tremulously. "I hope that taught you a lesson and you'll besatisfied to stay where you belong after this."

  "Girls, look at the spectators!" exclaimed Florence the next moment.

  In the street, about thirty feet below, several peons had stopped towatch this unusual performance, while others were running to see what wasgoing on.

  After one hasty glance below Jo Ann fled into the office.

  "Can't you do anything here without an audience?" she asked a momentlater in disgust.

  "Not anything like that," replied Florence. "I do hope they leave beforeFelipe sees them, or he'll have the whole story in a few minutes."

  "Anyway, I'm glad I'm down here." Jo Ann drew a sigh of relief. "I hope Inever have to stay so long in such a hot place again."