"She say you look like Señor B-Day," said the man, grinning. "We know heem alla right. I work' for him and so did Maria. He good-a man. One gran hombre—sí, sí!"
"But how badly is he hurt?" cried the girl. "Tell me."
"He been shot in the shoulder and in the right arm," said Juan, pointing. "He alla right—come through safe—sure!"
"But we have not heard a word from him——"
"He no can write. And at first, and alla time now, the bandits keep him shut up there at the mine. It ees so. Now the Señor General De Soto Palo come. He attack the bandits. They soon be driven into the mountains away from the mines and we—we go back to work again for Señor B-Day. Sure."
The relief Janice felt was all but overpowering. She could not speak again for a minute; but Marty demanded:
"Do you mean to say we can go up there to the Alderdice Mine to-morrow morning?"
"If Señor General De Soto Palo permits—sí, sí!" said Juan, grinning again. "But no ride on railroad I tell you, señor."
"Will you go with us?" the boy asked.
"As far as may be," said the man with a shrug of his shoulders.