“If that mean boss ever gets his hands on Carlitos, that’ll be the last we’ll ever see of him,” she thought. “That boss wants to keep the mine, and he won’t stop at anything to have his way.”
After they had ridden for about an hour, the darkness grew so thick that it was almost impenetrable.
Jo Ann called back in a low anxious voice to Florence, “I can’t see a thing—it’s so black. I’m glad, though, the trail’s not so dangerous along here. It must be almost time for the moon to be up.”
“I’m sure it is,” Florence answered, then called to José, “Isn’t it time for the moon to come up?”
“Sí, señorita, but I have much fear there will be no moon tonight. I think there will be a storm.”
Even as he was speaking the girls saw a flash of lightning and heard the distant rumbling of thunder. A few moments later great drops of rain began to pelt into their faces as a gust of wind blew against them. With almost incredible swiftness the storm broke in all its fury. Blinding flashes of lightning darted in every direction, deafening rolls of thunder echoed and re-echoed over the mountains.
Never had Jo Ann heard such thunder—it growled and raged like some horrible monster. The rain began sweeping down in torrents, lashing them furiously.
In a brilliant flash of lightning Jo Ann was horrified to see streams of water rushing down the mountain side carrying stones and debris. She realized at once that they were in grave danger.
The next moment José was beside her. Without a word he caught her horse’s bridle and began leading him over the treacherous, slippery trail.
“Is Florence coming——” she began, but her words were drowned by the storm.