"Stop that!" repeated Nan, and she dashed between the two girls.
She laid her hand upon the Mexican's chest and pushed her back.
"You have no right to do this. Don't you know we can have you
arrested by the police?"
"Ha! eet ees the odder Senorita," gasped the Mexican girl. "By gracious! I see you are fr-r-riends—heh? You know about the tr-r-reas-ure of the Ranchio Rose—heh?"
"Why, she doesn't know any more what you are talking about than I do," replied Rhoda Hammond, in wonder.
"This girl," said Nan, "must mean the gold and silver and other things you said, Rhoda, that the Mexican bandit hid on your father's ranch somewhere."
"Lobarto!" murmured Rhoda.
"Dhat ees eet!" cried the Mexican girl. "Lobarto, dhe r-r-robber. Lobarto, dhe slayer of women and chil'ren! Ah! The fiend!" and the excited girl's eyes blazed again.
"But what has that to do with Rhoda and her father? I am sure you know very well that Mr. Hammond could not help that bad Mexican bandit's coming up into the vicinity of Rose Ranch and hiding his plunder," said Nan confidently. "And what has it all to do with you, anyway?"
"She!" exclaimed the Mexican girl, pointing to Rhoda. "She ees reech because I am poor. Oh, yes! I know."
"You don't know anything of the kind," said Nan flatly. "Does she,
Rhoda?"
"I—I don't know what she means," stammered the girl from Rose
Ranch.