by Roy J. Snell
CHAPTER XI THE SECRET OF THE OLLA
The girls had thought that as usual Jose would accompany them to thevillage the next day. As it happened, however, there was some extra workfor him to do about the mine, and Mr. Eldridge decided to send Carlitosand Pepito as escorts for them in place of Jose. "Each boy can ride ahorse, and then on the way back they can ride double, as they did thefirst day, and let Florence have the extra horse," he said.
"Fine!" Jo Ann exclaimed.
Peggy was silent. The thought had darted into her mind that if thosesmugglers should chance to be in the village at the same time that theywere, it would be more comfortable to have Jose along instead of theboys.
When they reached Jitters' House, the boys suddenly decided to stay thereand wait for the girls. "Pepito and I are going to build a dam in thisstream," Carlitos explained, gesturing toward the small stream near by.
When a half hour later the girls passed the pottery woman's shack withoutseeing any sign of the smugglers' car, Peggy breathed a little morefreely. "We'll probably leave before they get here," she thought.
As if in answer to her thoughts, Jo Ann spoke up briskly, "I see wherewe'll have to wait around the village till those men come. Since thepottery's still there, I know they haven't come yet."
"Oh, I wouldn't do that," Peggy answered quickly. "We might have to stayso long it'd be dark before we'd get back to the mine."
"Of course we can't wait that long. I'm in hopes they'll come soon, but Iwant to see them if I possibly can."
When they came in sight of Pedro's store, they saw Florence standing outin front, looking up the narrow street.
"Attaboy! There she is!" cried Jo Ann.
"She sees us now!" Peggy waved both arms vigorously, a gesture that wasanswered equally enthusiastically by Florence.
As soon as the three girls had exchanged the warmest of greetings andFlorence and her baggage were settled in the car, Jo Ann broke into anaccount of having seen the smugglers' car, and all the other details.
Florence was indignant over the ridiculously low price the men werepaying the villagers for their pottery. "You're right, Jo. Those men arethieves," she said. "They're making three or four hundred per cent profiton the pottery, to say nothing of what they're getting out of theirsmuggling. I believe I can pay that woman and the other villagers morethan you did for their _ollas_, and ship them to the States, and stillbreak even. When I see these poverty-stricken women with their bigfamilies to feed and clothe, I feel I've got to help them every chance Iget."
"I do, too," agreed Jo Ann.
"And I," added Peggy. "But I don't want to get those smugglers angry atus. They'll be furious when they find out you're planning to buy all thepottery."
Both Jo Ann and Florence were silent a moment; then Jo Ann remarked,"Maybe we hadn't better buy all the pottery, because if we do, the men'llstop coming here altogether, and I won't get a chance to find out moreabout them to tell the mystery man. I want to help him--his life's atstake."
Florence nodded. "That's so." She turned to Peggy then with, "You'reright. We'd better buy only a few pieces of pottery."
"Let's drive past the shack now and see if the smugglers' car is there,"Jo Ann suggested, starting the car even as she spoke.
"That's all right with me if you'll keep on driving and not stop," Peggyspoke up.
Jo Ann drove very slowly past the pottery woman's house, but there was nosign of any kind of car to be seen. As the pottery was still there, sheknew the men were yet to come. She drove on a short distance, then turnedinto a rough road circling into the village. To Peggy's disapproval sheturned again a few minutes later into the side road leading past thewoman's house.
Almost simultaneously Jo Ann and Florence caught sight of the old carparked beside the house. "The smugglers' car!" they both gasped.
"Turn as fast as you can and get away from here," ordered Peggy.
Instead of obeying her command Jo Ann drew the car to the side of theroad and stopped. "You stay in the car, Peggy, while Florence and I seeif we can find out anything."
"Oh, do be careful!"
With Peggy's last words in their minds Jo Ann and Florence approached theshack cautiously, coming up close to the back of the house, where theyhalted. Though they could not see the smugglers and the woman except bypeeping around the corner of the shack, they could hear them talking.
"They're trying to make her come down on the price, aren't they?" Jo Annwhispered.
"Yes; trying to force her down to a mere fraction of what the _ollas_ areworth." An angry glint came into Florence's blue eyes. "I feel likemarching right out and telling her not to----" She stopped whispering tolisten to the woman's plaintive reply that she needed the money for foodfor her children.
Jo Ann caught the woman's words and their meaning. "Come on, let's see ifwe can't persuade or bluff them into giving more money."
Without hesitating, Florence stepped out, and together the two marched onaround to where the men and the woman were standing.
At their approach the two swarthy-skinned men looked up in surprise. Thetaller one, who was a little squint-eyed and had a scar on his chin, drewhis brows together into a deep frown as he peered from under his sombreroat Jo Ann.
Involuntarily Jo Ann caught her breath as the thought darted into hermind that he looked as if he recognized her. "Perhaps he saw me there inthe gully," she thought.
By that time Florence was talking to the woman in rapid Spanish, offeringto buy all her pottery at almost three times more than the men hadoffered.
The taller man whirled about to stare at Florence and to scowl morefiercely than ever. "It is impossible for you to buy the _ollas_. Shepromise us all--everything."
Florence ignored this remark and asked the woman, "How much did they sayin the first place that they would pay you?"
Between sobs the woman replied and added, "Now they say they will give meonly half of that."
"Since they won't pay you what they had promised, then sell your potteryto me."
Both men broke into a torrent of protests, waving their arms and shakingtheir heads violently.
While they were absorbed in arguing with Florence, Jo Ann gradually edgedover and looked into the back of the car, the bottom of which was filledwith pottery packed in straw. After one hasty glance over her shoulder atthe men, she reached over and pulled out a large _olla_ from the middle.
How heavy it was! She peered into it, then thrust her hand inside. Therewas a package--a heavy one--at the bottom.
Just then a furious voice rang out, "Put that _olla_ back in the car!"
She wheeled about to see the shorter one of the men rushing angrilytoward her.
