managed to escape punishment. He has some sort of political influence, which has helped him escape.”
“Well, I don’t care what they do with the old chap,” said Donald. “I’m off to find Billie.”
“I shall stay and guide the rurales,” said Don Antonio. “You boys go and do all the scouting you wish; but take my advice and do nothing rash until I come with the rurales.”
Promising him they would be careful, the little party of three set out, and Don Antonio went to his study to do some writing. Guadalupe, who had stood silently by, listening to the conversation, followed the boys to the great gate, and waved them a good-by, after which she returned to her room and tried to busy herself in her daily tasks. But somehow she could not become interested in her work, and, a little later, calling Tanto, she wandered out into the fields, finally straying to the bank of the river.
For a time she sat on the bank, watching the flowing water, and thinking about the three boys, who had so unexpectedly come into her life. She was much interested in them and their adventures, and her thought went out especially to Billie, whose captivity seemed most hard.
“And he is in all this trouble just because he helped Pedro to escape Don Rafael,” she thought to herself, not knowing that the boys had a mission
of their own. “I wish I could do something to help him.”
After a while she arose and walked slowly up the river, toward the spot where Billie disappeared.
“I mustn’t be walking in this direction,” she suddenly thought, “I might get into trouble.”
Espying a cow-path, which seemed to lead away from the river, she turned to the left, thinking that she would come out into the open field after a little. Instead, she found herself going deeper into the woods, and after a few minutes again sat down to rest, before retracing her footsteps.