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"Miss Calomares?" muttered Bob, under his breath, his eyes on the beautiful girl. "Jack certainly has moved fast. I don't get this." Mr. Hampton took pity on him. "Miss Calomares," he said, leading Bob forward. "This is my son's chum. He came with him tonight in his airplane." The girl held out her hand. Bob took it as in a daze. "Pinch me," he said, in an aside to Jack.
"Wait just a minute, Pete. Do you know where the Calomares ranch is located?" Pete nodded. "Aw, sure," he said, "that must be Don Fernandez y Calomares, down in Ol' Mexico. That's a good hundred mile acrost the border. It's in a valley in them mountains," he added, pointing to the darkening southern horizon. "And who is this Don?"
He gave the exact location of the Calomares ranch, in a valley amid low mountains more than one hundred miles to the south. There were two possibilities that the boys might be recognized for what they were: if Remedios should arrive at rebel headquarters, or if Von Arnheim or Morales recognized Bob as the youth who had foiled them on Long Island. Neither was very likely.
A man riding alone must bring the money in United States bills of one thousand dollars each to the Calomares ranch two weeks from today. He must wear a white handkerchief in his hat." While the others read, Jack turned to Gabby Pete and said authoritatively: "Pete, you heard me say something just now about my father being held for ransom. I believe you are my friend." Gabby Pete nodded violently.
Stone made matters easy for all concerned by speaking first, as soon as they all were out of earshot of Morales and Von Arnheim, and telling the boys he had guessed their identities. "Of course, I don't know your names," he said, "but I reckon one of you is the son of that American bigbug old Calomares is holding prisoner up at his ranch. And the rest of you are his pals." Bob's face fell.
"I believe," he declared, "that Stone is a warm-hearted, adventurous young fellow with no particular love for the Mexican rebels, but merely serving under their banner for the excitement. And I believe if we approach him right we can win his help in rescuing Mr. Hampton. He must know a good deal about this Calomares ranch and if we can get him to give us some pointers it will be worth while.
The following night they would continue their journey, and this should bring them to the Calomares ranch on the morning of the second day. "Time to get ready," said Mr. Temple, looking at his watch. "And, remember, the very first thing you must try to do is to get into their radio station and call me. Day or night, the men here will be watching for your signal and will call me.
"In all likelihood all that clash of conversation in the air put them on guard at the Calomares ranch. They were led to suspect all was not well. And then when the boys landed they were captured. That can be the only reason for our failure to hear from Bob and Jack." Dave attempted sympathetic protest, but Mr. Temple shook his head and groaned. "No, something has happened to them," he said.
But after hearing from Frank an account not only of the fight the latter had had to recover the cave, after once having been dispossessed, but also of the attempt to warn the Calomares ranch ahead of the boys' coming which Morales had made, he began to wish he never had called Frank. "Think of it," he said to Dave Morningstar, after explaining the situation.
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