The next instant the words, “Manuel’s—killed!” echoed down to them.
A moment’s stunned silence fell; then Mr. Eldridge gasped, “Manuel—killed! Start the malacate at once, so we can get up there!”
“No can—the wires all broke,” came back the wailing answer.
“Wires broken—and Manuel killed and——” Mr. Eldridge’s voice trailed off into silence.
Jo Ann cut in, “José’s so excitable! Manuel may have only fainted or been shocked unconscious.”
“That’s true. All the more reason I must get up there at once. It’ll take us so long to walk to the entrance.”
“Can’t José attach burros to the malacate and pull us up that way?” put in Jo Ann.
“Yes, he could. That’d take lots less time.” Mr. Eldridge called immediately to José to attach the burros to the malacate and start it working, ending with the usual, “Sabe?”
“Sí,” José called back. “I go now.”
While they were anxiously awaiting for José to start the malacate, Mr. Eldridge remarked that he had better go up first to see about Manuel. “I hate to go ahead of you, though.”