"I guess foreigners learn American slang before they learn the grammar," laughed Rhoda.
"What else, Rhoda?" cried Grace.
"It is to search out the treasure buried so long ago by Lobarto. If the map Juan has is true, he will find it. Then my mother will lose forever what Lobarto stole from our hacienda. Is it not possible that the Senor Hammond, thy father, should get soldiers of the Americano army, and round up those bad Mexicanos and Juan Sivello, take from him the map and find the treasure? My mother will pay much dinero for reward.
"'Believe me, Senorita R. Hammond, your much good friend,
"'JUANITA O'HARRA.'
"She doesn't sound at all as she talked that day she caught me in the woods, Nan," added Rhoda with a laugh.
"The poor girl!" commented Nan. "I wish we could find her mother's money."
"Say! I wish we could find all that treasure for ourselves," cried
Bess. "No use giving it all to your Juanita."
"Do you suppose, girls," said Rhoda thoughtfully, "that those men we saw coming through the gap in the Blue Buttes were this Sivello and his gang?"
"Are they horse thieves?" cried Bess.