The Secret of Casa Grande

by Roy J. Snell

  CHAPTER XII FLORENCE'S SURPRISE

  "Felipe certainly did look funny when you marched in with this bigpackage in your arms," laughed Peggy as she and Jo Ann entered theirroom. "He was probably wondering why you hadn't taken him along to carryit for you."

  "So I noticed. His eyes were big as saucers, and he seemed to be tryingto bore through the wrapping paper." Jo Ann smiled complacently as sheremoved the paper from the package and took out a coil of rope twice aslong as the one she had slipped into the house inside the parasol a fewdays before. "It seems strange, doesn't it, to have to carry paper to themarket with you to get your package wrapped, as I did this morning."

  Peggy nodded. "It's a good thing you had that paper in your trunk. Howare you going to fix that rope now that you have it--make a rope ladder?"

  "No; I'm going to make loops in it as I did in the other piece. Thishand-twisted _ixtle_ rope--that's the Mexican name for it--is so wirythat I'd have a time trying to make a ladder out of it. Florence said theAztecs made this same kind of rope before the Spanish came to thiscountry. It's so stiff we'll have no trouble getting our feet into theloops, and it'll be almost as easy to climb as a ladder."

  With deft fingers Jo Ann began tying the loops in the rough fiber rope.

  "It seems to me you'll have to make lots of loops so you can climb 'waydown in that black hole--or shaft, as you call it," Peggy observed.

  "I know that. I'll have to figure out the depth of the shaft so I'll besure to have enough rope to reach that far."

  When Florence came into the room a few minutes later, Jo Ann turned toher and asked, "Do you know how high the first floor of this buildingis?"

  Florence shook her head. "I haven't the slightest idea."

  "Well, I'll have to figure it out some way. I can't afford to get 'waydown there in that shaft and find out I haven't enough rope."

  "Why don't you talk about what _we're_ going to do instead of _I_ all thetime?" put in Peggy. "If you think you're the only one who's going toexplore that shaft, you're badly mistaken--I'm going too."

  Jo Ann half smiled and answered slowly, "Well--all right--if you aren'tafraid."

  "Afraid! Why should I be afraid, any more than you? I can go anywhere youcan. I don't go around hunting for trouble the way you do, but I don'tlose my head when I get in a tight place. You'll probably need me, at anyrate, if you're going down in that shaft."

  "That's true," Jo Ann admitted.

  "Just to prove how helpful I can be," went on Peggy, "I'll tell you howto find out the height of the first floor. Drop enough rope from thebalcony to touch the street, then pull your rope up and measure it."

  "Good headwork," approved Jo Ann, to Peggy's delight. "I--no, we--will dothat the first chance we have. Since you were so kind as to solve thatproblem, I'll give you a much harder one to figure out. It's this--howand to what are we going to fasten this rope so we can go down into theshaft? There's nothing in that room to which we could fasten it."

  Peggy silently considered this puzzle for a few minutes, then saidslowly, "I can't answer that right now, but I'll keep on thinking till Ido."

  Florence, who had been unusually quiet up to now, spoke up encouragingly,"Jo's always managed so far to do what seemed impossible, and she'll besure to find a way to fasten the rope, if you don't."

  "I hope your prophecy comes true," Jo Ann said, smiling over at Florence."I believe I'd better go out and take a look at the back of the housebefore it gets dark and see if I can't figure out a way right now. I'mready to stop, anyway. This rough rope has almost blistered my hands.Don't you girls want to go with me?"

  "I do for one," Peggy replied quickly. "I'm tired of the house--and it'slovely outside now. There's a gorgeous sunset." She pointed out thewindow to the rose and gold clouds floating across the azure sky.

  "Let's all go," agreed Florence.

  With one accord the three girls hastened down the stairs.

  "Let's go on out to the Plaza and watch the sunset a few minutes beforewe go back of the house," Peggy urged when they reached the door.

  The girls nodded assent, and arm in arm they started walking slowlyaround the square, drinking in the beauty of the slow tropical sunset asthey went.

  "I've never seen a more beautiful sight," declared Jo Ann as she gazed atthe towers of the ancient cathedral and the rugged mountains beyond,outlined against the western sky. "It looks as if golden flames werebursting from each peak and touching everything with gold."

  Just as she had finished speaking, a dark-robed figure moved from thearched gateway of the church and came slowly toward them.

  "Isn't that the _padre_ coming from the church, Florence?" Jo Ann asked.Nothing, no matter how beautiful, could keep her mind long from the onething which had become an obsession with her. "Maybe he can give us someinformation about the church. Let's ask him."

  "It won't hurt to try, of course," replied Florence, "but I hardly thinkit'll do any good."

  They crossed the street and met the _padre_ on the corner.

  "How do you do, Padre Ignacio," said Florence in Spanish. "May we speakwith you a moment?"

  "May the Mother of Jesus bless you," the _padre_ replied. As he passedher house several times a day, he knew Florence, although she did notbelong to his church. "It will give me the greatest of pleasure to be ofassistance to the senoritas."

  "Ask him if he knows anything about the early history of the church,"begged Jo Ann. "You know my Spanish isn't anything to brag about."

  After introducing Peggy and Jo Ann, Florence carefully explained thatthese American girls were very much interested in his church on accountof its great age, the type of architecture, and its connection with theearly history of the city. "This senorita," she said, placing her hand onJo Ann's arm, "is studying the history of our city and is eager to getall the information she can on the subject, and we would appreciate itvery much if you could tell us anything that will be of assistance inmaking this study."

  The _padre_ listened attentively until Florence had finished, then shookhis head and replied, "I am very sorry, my dear young ladies, that Icannot help you, but I have been in this part of the country only a fewyears--only since the change in government, when the priests and teachersof God were expelled. Ah, _Madre de Dios_, but that was bad, very bad!"he added sorrowfully, shaking his head. "It pains me greatly not to beable to help you but, though I feel very much honored that you areinterested in my humble church, I know nothing about its early history."

  "We thank you very much, Padre," replied Florence. "We shall come over tovisit your church again. A _muy buenas tardes_ [a very good afternoon],"she added, and Peggy and Jo Ann echoed, "_buenas tardes_."

  "_Buenas tardes, senoritas._" With a bow the _padre_ continued on hisway.

  "Too bad we couldn't get any help from him," Jo Ann remarked after he hadpassed out of hearing distance. "It certainly is hard to find outanything about that old church. Let's go now and look at the back of thehouse and try to figure out a way to fasten the rope."

  They crossed the street and stood gazing intently at the back wall of thehouse.

  "It looks as if we'll have to tie the rope to the iron bars of thatwindow in the back room," declared Jo Ann finally. "You see the top of itis almost on a level with that narrow opening that we've been calling themysterious window."

  "But how're you going to get the rope from that back window to theopening?" queried Florence.

  "Oh, Jo thinks she's a fly or a scorpion and can crawl across the wall,"cut in Peggy.

  Ignoring Peggy's remark, Jo Ann continued, "We'll fasten the ropesecurely to the iron bars in that window; then I'll drop down to theopening as I did before. I believe by sticking my fingers in the crevicesof the rough plaster I can pull myself across the wall near enough to thewindow to catch hold of the rope."

  "It's mighty high up there," said Florence, "and that looks like adifficult thing to do."

  "Those bars are absolutely the only thin
g to which it can be fastened,"replied Jo Ann. "By standing in the loop on the end of the rope it won'tbe as difficult as it looks."

  "Come on; it's almost dark, and we can't stand here on the street anylonger," said Florence. "Dad may be waiting for us to come to dinner, andhe'll be worried."

  "Listen! Why can't we explore the mysterious shaft tonight?" Jo Annexclaimed suddenly. "It won't take long to tie the rest of the loops andtest the knots. Everything else is ready--the flashlights and all."

  "Tonight!" gasped Florence, whether in consternation or surprise, Jo Anncould not decide.

  "Yes, tonight. There's a full moon--it'll be as bright as day out, andI'm afraid if we wait something'll happen to spoil the whole thing. I'djust die if I didn't get to carry this out."

  "But why at night?" asked Peggy as they climbed the stairs.

  "Well, why not?" returned Jo Ann. "It won't be any darker in that shaftat night than in the daytime. You couldn't see your hand before your facedown there right in the middle of the day. We'll carry our flashlights. Igot some more batteries and an extra globe for the one I dropped. Ithought we might need an extra one--that is, if that flashlight isn'tsmashed all to pieces."

  "I wish I could go too," said Florence tentatively.

  Jo Ann and Peggy exchanged swift glances, but neither offered one word ofencouragement to Florence.

  Surprised at this request and not knowing how to answer it, Jo Ann andPeggy were silent as they sat on the balcony waiting the call to dinner.Lights like fireflies flashed here and there as darkness settled over thecity, and a slight breeze, heavy with the scent of orange blossoms,stirred the trees across the way.

  Florence finally broke the silence. "Can't I go with you and Peggy, JoAnn? I'd be careful."

  Jo Ann and Peggy were thankful at that moment for the darkness. Florencemust not see the look of dismay on their faces. How could they refuse tolet her go with them when it was her house?--and yet both felt that theydared not.

  "Peggy, ask her to let me go," Florence begged when Jo Ann did notanswer.

  "Florence--you see," began Jo Ann slowly, "it'll be rather dangerous, andyour father'd never forgive us if anything should happen to you."

  "We've had lots more experience climbing than you have," added Peggy.

  "I know, but I can climb that rope," Florence put in coaxingly. "I'vetried it."

  "Why, Florence, you shouldn't have tried it alone!" exclaimed Jo Ann."Why didn't you tell us?"

  "I didn't want you to know till I found out whether I could do it. I'vewanted so much to do the things you girls do, but I knew it wouldn't besafe to go down in that shaft without some practice climbing a rope. Ifeel sure I can climb down there now."

  "I can't picture you as a tomboy climbing on top of the house," put inPeggy, smiling.

  "And here I've been thinking all the time that you were terribly shockedat our behavior," added Jo Ann.

  Florence shook her head. "Not shocked--just envious. I've been practicinggoing up and down that rope every morning before you girls were out ofbed. I can do it easily now. You know last summer at camp I got so Icould climb mountains as well as the rest of the girls, after I'd had alittle experience."

  "You're a plucky little rascal," praised Jo Ann. "If she wants to go withus that badly, we'll have to let her go, won't we, Peggy?"

  Peggy nodded an emphatic assent.