Rico?â
The captain looked grave. âIf I know Bernardo, heâll see that that devilish aunt of his takes her straight on to Santo Domingo. Iâm sure the Señora can get her in without trouble. But once there, that will be the end of her. Sheâll simply disappear.â
âButâbut, golly, canât something be done to help her?â
âItâs got me beat. Iâm going to retire next month, and Iâll have time to look into it. But that doesnât help matters now.â The big man shook his head. âPuerto Ricoâs like a foreign country. No one but Bernardo himself could really straighten the thing out. He has the power and the money. But the fellow is a rascal â¦â
Ronnie, looking thoughtfully astern, had forgotten his own troubles entirely when he was aware of movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw Ana MarÃa Rosalita hurrying toward him.
âBoy Blue, you were so long with the captain,â she began worriedly. âSurely you had no trouble?â
âOh, no,â he told her. âIt was just that I couldnât fool him. I had to tell him everything. And Iâm glad I did. He turned out to be a real friend.â
âOh, I knew he would be. You see, heâs one of my two friends.â
âIs the other one Black Luis?â
The tiny girl nodded. âDid the captain tell you what happened?â
âYes,â Ronnie replied soberly. âAnd now I know youâre in a worse spot than I am. Iâve been trying to figure out what to do.â
âBut I decided last night Iâll run away,â she said quickly. âAs I told you, I thought and thought for hoursâfirst about you, then about me. If you can get into a private schoolââ
âNo,â he interrupted. âThe captain had the same idea. Only, I donât believe Iâd better.â
âBut youâd be safeââ
âMaybe. Though I think Iâll be just as safe in that beach cottage he got from your father.â
âOh, no!â she said instantly. âDonât go there!â
âWhy not?â
âBecause itâs the wrong place to hide. I know! It was the first place I thought of, because itâs so near Papaâs old villa, where Bernardo lives. And of course I wanted you there, for now youâre my third friend, and Iâd feel so much better knowing you were near. But I was just being selfish. You must not go there.â
He looked at her curiously. His main reason for deciding to go to the beach cottage was so he would be near enough to help her. For surely, if the captain was right, she was going to need all the help she could get.
âI donât understand, camarada ,â he said finally. âWhatâs wrong with it?â
Her dark eyes grew round and fearful. âBoy Blue, every time I think of you going to the cottage, your trouble sign turns almost black. That means something terrible will happen.â
He looked grimly at the vesselâs wake, flowing into the distance. âThen Iâd better stay away,â he muttered. âOnly, I donât want to go to a schoolââ
âOh, but you donât have to,â she hastened to say. âIâve another plan, just in case. You must find Black Luis.â
âBlack Luis?â he repeated, startled.
âYes. Thatâs what I am going to do if I have to run away from Bernardo.â
âWhere is he?â
âIâI donât know exactly,â she admitted. âBut he can always be found by the right personâsomeone like you or me, or Captain Anders. You see, heâs had to go underground since Papa died.â
âUnderground? You mean heâs hiding?â
âOf course heâs hiding, silly. If Bernardo finds him, heâll be sent back to Santo Domingo, which would be awful. Papa gave him a little piece of land for helping me, and heâs
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