The Secret of Casa Grande

by Roy J. Snell

  CHAPTER XVI MORE PRECIOUS THAN JEWELS

  At the very moment that Peggy was lying terror-stricken at the feet ofthe mummies Dr. Blackwell had just made an alarming discovery.

  He had been wakened from a deep peaceful sleep by the sound of vigorousknocking on the outer door and had quickly scrambled out of bed and intohis clothes. He well knew that this knocking meant that someone was indistress and needed his professional services. Louder and louder had comethe sound. Fearing that everyone in the house would be awakened, he hadhurried down to answer the door.

  When he had not seen Florence at the head of the stairs, waiting to boltthe door as usual, he had gone to her room and found it empty and thebeds undisturbed. Immediately he had run from room to room, calling thegirls, but had heard only the echoes of his own worried voice. All threegirls had utterly disappeared!

  A terrible fear swept over him--they had been kidnaped! But no, that wasimpossible, he told himself the next moment. Three strong, healthy girlscould not be carried off without making a sound.

  What should he do? Call the police? Something must be done immediately,but there was so much red tape connected with governmental affairs inthis country that it would be hours before anything could be done.Perhaps it would be better to call his good friend Senor Rodriguez. Hewould advise him the best steps to take.

  Quickly, his hand shaking so he could scarcely write, he scribbled a noteto the Senor. It was almost illegible, but the words, "Come at once" wereplain, and that was all that was necessary.

  Rushing down the stairs, he hurried past the man waiting at the door,without speaking. The man stared after him in blank amazement. What wasthe matter? Was the _Doctor Americano loco_?

  On across the street ran Dr. Blackwell to the corner of the Plaza, wherea taxi could be found at any hour of the day or night.

  He shook the sleeping taxi driver by the shoulder. "_Hombre, hombre_,wake up! Take this letter to the Senor Rodriguez and bring him back withyou. _Muy pronto, sabe?_"

  The lazy, easy-going Mexican straightened in surprise. He had carriedthis American doctor on many an urgent call, but he had never seen him sonervous and excited before. This must be something very important. Verywell, he would show _el doctor_ how he could hurry. There was a roar, thegrinding of gears, and the car was off like a shot.

  In an amazingly short time Senor Rodriguez rushed into the office. Hefound Dr. Blackwell slumped in a chair, his face in his hands.

  "Doctor, what has happened? What is the matter?" he asked in Spanish.

  In a few halting words Dr. Blackwell told him of the girls'disappearance. "What shall I do, senor?" he ended, his voice vibrant withemotion.

  Before the amazed Senor could take in the situation and answer thisquestion, there was the sound of light, flying feet on the balcony floor.

  The next moment, after one swift glance at her father, Florence droppedon her knees at his feet, exclaiming, "Daddy! Are you sick?"

  Startled at the sound of her voice, Dr. Blackwell almost jumped out ofhis chair. "Florence!" he cried. "Florence!"

  "What's the matter, Daddy?" she asked anxiously.

  In the moment of silence that followed her question she turned to SenorRodriguez. "Tell me what's happened, senor."

  "Where'd you come from?" Dr. Blackwell put in before the Senor couldspeak. "How'd you get here? Oh, child, I've been so frightened andworried! I thought something terrible had happened to you and the girls.Where are they?"

  "Right here," answered Jo Ann, who had just come running in with Peggy."Don't--blame Florence--it's really--all my fault."

  "Why, Dad, there's nothing the matter with us--we're all right," saidFlorence, rising. "We just went up on the roof and----"

  "What _are_ you girls talking about?" he demanded, noticing for the firsttime their disreputable appearance--their grimy faces, Jo's bloodstainedshirt, and their knickers. "What have you been doing?"

  "We've been solving the mystery," eagerly explained Florence.

  "What mystery?"

  "Why, the mystery of that strange little window in the back of thehouse."

  "But how did you get out of the house without unbolting the door? Youknow better than to go out at this hour of night."

  "Don't scold, Dad," begged Florence. "We haven't been down on the street.We climbed through the little window and found a tunnel under thestreet."

  "A tunnel!" he repeated, bewildered. "What in the world are you talkingabout?"

  "Why, there's a long tunnel that starts under the back of our house andgoes under the street, clear to the church--and I don't know how muchfarther--there's a regular network of passages, and----"

  While Florence stopped to catch her breath, her father turned to SenorRodriguez. "Do you know anything about a tunnel under the street?"

  Senor Rodriguez shook his head, a puzzled expression on his face.

  By that time Florence had started talking again, her words tumbling overeach other in her hurry. "And we've found lots of valuablethings--candelabra--old papers--and jewels! Real jewels!Diamonds--rubies. Open the box, Jo, and show them!"

  With fingers fumbling in her haste Jo Ann was already untying the stringabout the box. Her eyes shining, she turned its contents upon a chair infront of Dr. Blackwell. Under the bright lights the jewels sparkled farmore brilliantly than they had in the tunnel.

  In the silence that followed, the three girls waited breathlessly. Whatwould Dr. Blackwell and the Senor say about their discovery? Would theybe forgiven now for the anxiety they had caused?

  After a long pause Dr. Blackwell gently pulled Florence down on the armof his chair. "They're beautiful," he said, "but I shudder to think ofthe risks you three took to get them--of what might have happened to you.No one would ever have known where you were. I'm so thankful to have youall back safe and sound. You're far more precious to me than thesejewels."

  "Oh, but, doctor, it wasn't as dangerous as it sounds," put in Jo Anneagerly. "We were very careful." Recalling some of her moments of anxietyin the past few hours, she hesitated and added a little less confidently,"Perhaps it was more dangerous than we realized, but we're all right now,and we wanted so badly to solve the mystery of that window and tosurprise you."

  A smile passed over Dr. Blackwell's face. "You surprised me all right."

  Encouraged by this change of expression on the doctor's face, Jo Ann wenton, "I'm sorry you were worried. We thought we'd get back before youdiscovered we were gone. You'll forgive us, won't you?"

  "Yes," Dr. Blackwell replied slowly, "provided you all promise never torisk your precious lives that way again."

  "Oh, we'll promise that, won't we, girls?"

  Florence and Peggy nodded an emphatic assent.

  With a wave of her hand toward the jewels Jo Ann added, "Now that we'veexplored that tunnel and found all these, we're satisfied." She turnedthen and handed Senor Rodriguez the old yellowed papers. "I'm sure you'llbe interested in these papers. They look like old records."

  Curiously the Senor unrolled one of the old documents and began readingit. Soon he was poring over them, oblivious of everything else.

  In the meanwhile the girls examined the jewels more closely and reveledin their beauty.

  Dr. Blackwell interrupted their chatter finally, saying, "I haven't beenable to piece together all your disjointed account of your adventures.Suppose you begin at the first, Jo, since you were the originator of thewhole thing, and tell the whole story."

  Jo Ann needed no second invitation. She began at once to give a vividaccount of their getting the rope and their climb to the roof; then wenton to their descent into the hidden room and the tunnel; and finally tothe discovery of the candelabra, papers, and jewelry. With the help ofPeggy and Florence not even the smallest detail was left untold.

  "An amazing tale," Dr. Blackwell commented when they had finished, "butI'm still shuddering about the risks you took."

  Eager to change the subject, Jo Ann turned to Senor
Rodriguez and asked,"Can you make anything out of these papers?"

  "Yes, Mees Jo." There was a tinge of excitement in the Senor's voice inspite of his attempt to appear calm. "Dey are ver' old records and It'ink may be ver' valuable. One hab de name of my gran'modder's family.If dey are what I t'ink--ah, dat would be wonderful! Somet'ing dat hasbeen lost for many, many years--how you say in Ingles?--de missing link?Wid your permission I would like to take dem to my office and study dem."

  "That's just what we want you to do. I can hardly wait to find out moreabout them. We would like your advice, too, about what to do with allthese beautiful things." She gestured toward the jewels and then,reaching over, picked up the opal ring that had so fascinated her. "Thisis the most beautiful opal I've ever seen, and it's set so artistically.I'm glad my birthday's in October, so it's not unlucky for me to wear anopal, since I'm particularly fond of that stone."

  The Senor smiled. "Since it's your lucky stone, try this ring on, MeesJo."

  Obediently Jo Ann slipped the ring on her finger. "Oh, senor, it'slovely."

  While she was still admiring it, Peggy picked up the filigree necklace."This is the daintiest piece of all, I think," she remarked.

  "And this is the most beautiful, according to my notion," smiledFlorence, pointing to a bracelet of old gold set with sapphires and tinydiamonds. "The sapphire is my birthstone."

  Senor Rodriguez was much pleased by the girls' admiration. "De people ofmy country are ver' artistic," he said. "Dey make many beautiful t'ings."

  "To whom do you think all these jewels and things belong?" Jo Ann asked."And why were they put in that room under the church?"

  "Mees Jo, I do not know. I am ver' sorry dat I cannot answer you dat. Ihave heard dat long ago in de wars de people carried der most valuablet'ings to de church for safe keeping. I may be able to find out who ownsdese from de papers."

  "I'm sure these jewels are very valuable," Dr. Blackwell remarked inSpanish to the Senor. "I'm away so much that I don't like to leave thegirls alone with them in the house. Would you take charge of them tillyou find out to whom they belong?"

  Senor Rodriguez nodded. "Yes, if you wish, doctor. I will be glad to takethem and put them in my safe till I find out to whom they belong."