overheard one of the men tell the other that they'd find out at Pedro's store where we lived," Florence went on; "then that he'd drive on with the load of pottery an..."I'm certainly glad you had my bed put in your room," Florence remarked, reaching over across the narrow space that separated her bed from the girls' double one and patting Jo Ann's hand. "I'd be scared to sleep in one of these huge old rooms by myself--especially knowing about that smuggler's being around here."

"I'm as tall as he is, so I'm not scared of him," grinned Jo Ann. "If I were as small and lilylike and fragile-looking as you, I might be uneasy."

"Stop teasing me that way," laughed Florence, "or I'll roll over between you two for protection."

Just as they were about to drop off to sleep, Jo Ann murmured drowsily, "If Miss Prudence dares to come in and wake me up early in the morning with 'we'll have to get an early start'--at something or other, I'm--I'm going to----" She hesitated.

"I'm going to what?" jibed Peggy.

"I'm going to fire my pillow at her, then turn over and go back to sleep."

Peggy giggled. "Uh-huh! I see you firing a pillow at her."

As it happened, Miss Prudence did enter their room early the next morning to waken them, but instead of hurling a pillow Jo Ann listened gladly to her plan for an "early start."

"Going to the city--this morning?" she repeated, wide awake as soon as the phrase "going to the city" had entered her brain. "That's fine! Sure we'll be ready by the time you are." Seeing that Peggy was sufficiently awake now to take in the plan for a trip to the city, she asked, "You'll be ready, won't you, Peg?"

"Yes, indeed. Reach over and wake Florence. Tweak her ear or her nose."

Florence protested vigorously at this manner of being wakened but quickly subsided when Jo Ann told her about the trip.

An hour later they were dressed and mounted on their horses, as were Carlitos and Miss Prudence. José tied the two bags to his saddle, which were the only pieces of luggage they were taking, since they were to stay only one night.

"Remember, Carlitos," his uncle said smilingly on telling him good-bye, "you'll be the man of the party after you reach Jitters' House. That's as far as José'll go, you know."

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