Mr. Cameron wrote a note to Mrs. Tellingham, asking that Helen and Ruth might visit the hospital every day or two to see how the patient fared.
"Besides," said Ruth, eagerly, "I may get him to talk. Perhaps he has deserted his tribe for good, and he may help us learn about the necklace."
"You want to be very careful in trying to pump the lad," said Mr. Cameron, with a smile.
He need not have feared on this point, however, as it turned out. The very next afternoon Ruth and Helen hurried in to Lumberton to make inquiries at the hospital. They saw the head physician and he was frankly puzzled about Roberto.
"I thought I had had every kind of a case in my experience," said the surgeon, "but there's something about this one that puzzles me."
"Is he more hurt than you thought?" cried Ruth, anxiously.
"I don't know. It seems that we have found all his injuries that are apparent. But there is one we cannot reach. Something is the matter with his speech."
"His speech?" gasped Helen.
"You have heard him speak?"
"Of course!"