Blue Grass Seminary Girls on the Water

by Roy J. Snell

  CHAPTER XXVI.--IN MAZATLAN.

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

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

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

  "I managed to get a few winks during the night," returned Mabel. "Icurled 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 Hernandezsignalled a passing cab. Into this the girls were thrust and then thetwo women and the man climbed in. Hernandez gave an address to thedriver, and the cab whirled away.

  None of the occupants saw a man, who had been loitering about thestation 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 thecity for hours before the cab stopped its bumping and drew up before atypical Mexican native house in the outskirts of the town. Hernandez andthe 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 somedistance away. Then he dismissed the driver and approached the houseafoot. He saw the five figures enter the dwelling and approached nonearer, but took a stand some distance away, where from time to time, helooked 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, thewindows of which they saw were heavily barred. Mrs. Sebastianaccompanied them.

  "Now girls," she said, "if you are quiet and make no trouble, I am surethat 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 withina 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 usif 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 mycountry."

  "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. "Ithink you should be punished for the manner in which you got us in yourpower."

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

  "No, I can't understand it," declared Shirley. "It's robbery that youare 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, whatare we going to do?"

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

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

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

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

  She took her stand behind the door and Mabel joined her there. A keyturned in the lock, and the door swung slowly inward. The girls were outof sight behind the door.

  Mrs. Sebastian, being unable to see them, advanced into the room with astartled exclamation, and looked hurriedly about. Seizing a moment whenthe 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 wheeledsuddenly about and caught sight of her. The woman sprang forward with acry, but Mabel, in passing, had seized the knob of the door and pulledit 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 thedoor, 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'llthink it is us," declared Mabel. "If we are silent and careful now, wemay be able to get out."

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

  "No getting out that way," she whispered.

  Mabel advanced and looked into the room beyond. In it sat Hernandez andhis 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 atShirley's whispered suggestion they went back along it. Far to the rearthey could see a faint beam of light and Shirley's heart beat fasterwith renewed hope.

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

  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, andlooked down. Then she shuddered slightly. It was a long drop, fullytwenty feet.

  But Shirley did not hesitate, for she realized that the jump must betaken. 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. Inspite of this, she was up in an instant, however, and turned her eyes tothe window, where Mabel's head had just appeared.

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

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

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

  Mabel maneuvered about the window trying to get into such a positionthat she could lower herself. But her fright was such that she wasafraid to loose her hold long enough to change her position. She lookeddown 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'tclimb back up there after her."

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

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

  Mabel's hesitancy and fright vanished on the instant. Quickly shelowered herself by her hands and dropped to the ground. She fell in aheap, 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 wouldhave stayed up there all day."

  Mabel's te
nsion also relaxed, and the girls moved slowly away from thehouse, Shirley finding that her ankle had stopped hurting and was noteven 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 notrouble doing that."

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

  Suddenly there came a cry from behind. Unconsciously both girls stoppedin their tracks and looked back over their shoulders. But one look wasenough.

  "Run!"

  "Run!" cried Shirley in the same breath.

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

  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 anddashed madly along the street.