Henry nodded, curtly, nudged Mort, and without a word of thanks, swung on his heel and slunk out.
“Let’s go to my hut,” Margery suggested. “It’s more comfortable to talk, and I’ve fixed up like a home in it.”
Unaware that the eyes of the man they had saved were still burning hotly with resentment at his own defeat, that he watched because he was still determined to get what he wanted, they walked across the dark square to a small hut where an Indian girl, about a year older than Margery, slept in a hammock. Margery stuck the torch she had brought into a makeshift holder against a supporting pillar of wood, and showed the three chums her makeshift home.
She had preserved some of her American taste of love and comfort, in spite of the hardships. There, with the other girl dismissed firmly, she and Tom took their first brother-and-sisterly embrace and the girl, now very shy, clasped hands with the two who had come with Tom to her rescue.
“Now,” said Tom, “Sis’, are you too tired to tell us some about yourself? It can wait——”
“No,” she said. “I’ll feel better if we know everything all together. I’ve had a dreadful time. But it will soon be over—thanks to you three fine friends. I love you all!”
Then she told them her story. After her parting with Tom, when he was prevented from going with her and his father to Mexico, she and their father had gone to the land of the chili bean and the tamale.
On the way their father had fallen into conversation with a man who was going back to Mexico “to work a mine.” He had tried to sell it but had failed; its samples of ore were not very convincing, although its owner had great faith that he was nearly ready to tap a fine vein of ore. But his health was poor and the Mexican climate, even among the hills, was detrimental to recovery; he wanted to dispose of his holdings.
Their father told her, Margery said, that he was going to look at the mine before they went on to the Dead Hope, and if he liked it he might take an option on it.
He did so, but the man, when he found that Mr. Carrol considered the property good, begged him to buy it outright so he could take the money and go to Nevada to grow better. Mr. Carrol had agreed to take a half-interest and the papers had been drawn up.