A sudden idea flashed into her mind. When the boss stooped over to untie the peon, maybe she’d have a chance to slip his gun out of his holster; then she’d watch her chance to take him by surprise.
Her thoughts were broken into by the boss seizing Florence roughly by the arm and starting toward her.
“Here’s my chance to get his gun,” Jo Ann thought, feeling sure that he was going to untie the peon now.
To her consternation, instead of untying the peon, he kicked him viciously and snarled, “You no good—you let the señoritas bind you up—now I leave you here for the wild beasts to gnaw on your bones.”
Although Jo Ann could not understand all that he said, she realized immediately that he was going to leave the peon here to die. “What a beast that man is,” she thought.
“Get on out—all of you,” the boss growled, pushing Carlitos roughly in front of the girls and pointing his gun menacingly.
When the peon saw them all starting out of the cave, leaving him there alone, bound and helpless, he began struggling and rolling about, trying to free himself.
“Don’t leave me here! You can’t leave me! I did what you told me. I brought the boy back. Where is the money you promised me?”
“The wild animals cannot eat money,” the boss flung back, then laughed callously.
Jo Ann gasped in horror as she caught the meaning of his cruel words. “That man isn’t human. No wonder José with his family had fled from the mine.”