“Sounds like it.” Florence began questioning Pepito again. “Where is your papá now?”
“At the cave. When mi papá tell us that Carlitos is lost, I come to you. You can help us find Carlitos.”
Florence repeated his words to the girls, saying, “Poor child, he thinks we can help them because we did before.”
“We’ve got to help,” Jo Ann spoke up emphatically. “We’ve got to find Carlitos. Let’s go down to the cave right now and talk to José and find out exactly what’s happened. Tell Pepito to stay here and rest while we go to the cave.”
When Florence suggested to him that he stay and rest, Pepito shook his head. “No, no, señorita. I go with you.”
Before starting to the cave Florence ran inside to tell her mother what had happened. “Peggy says she’ll stay and finish getting dinner while Jo and I go down and find out the details from José.”
“All right,” her mother replied. “I hope they’ll be able to find Carlitos before night.”
By the time Florence came back, Jo Ann was hurrying down the trail, Pepito following. Suddenly realizing that Pepito must not walk so rapidly, Jo Ann checked her pace, although she could hardly wait to find out from José what had really happened.
“I wonder if it’s possible that Carlitos has been kidnaped,” she thought anxiously. “That mean mine boss tried to get him once—maybe he’s had something to do with his disappearance.”
Just then Florence caught up with her and began talking over this new trouble. “We’ll have to do something to help find Carlitos, Jo. Had it occurred to you that that mean boss might’ve had a hand in his disappearance?”