The government agent’s grin widened. “It is nothing, Señor,” he said. “It should be forget and you should have the good stay in our country. Buenos noches, Señor. Good night.”
And then he was gone. His companions stayed behind to finish the task of repacking the boxes. Once that was accomplished, they helped to load them in the van that had been rented for that purpose, flashed quick smiles as they bid them good night, and went their way.
Biff Norris turned to the polo team manager. “What was that all about, Mr. Griffen?” he asked.
Griffen’s face crinkled soberly and the fire came back into his eyes. “Frankly, I don’t know what to make of it,” he replied. “My first thought was that they suspected us of bringing contraband of some sort into the country, but now I wonder. If that had been the case, it looks as though the customs officials would have been the ones to have gone through our luggage so thoroughly.” He shook his head. “I wish I knew just what they were after. Whatever it was, it must have been important, the way they tore into everything.”
The boys talked about it later that afternoon as they jounced along the road toward the Huerta Estancia in the van that carried the big stallion, Ebony, and the gear.
“Mr. Griffen is still concerned about that search of our things the government agents made today,” Chip said.
“I don’t know as I blame him. They sure suspected us of something.”
Chip frowned. “I wonder if we’ve seen the last of this Sebastian Alonzo. I’ve got a hunch this isn’t over yet.”
Mr. Griffen said no more about it when the fellows got together at the hotel where they stopped for the night; but as soon as they reached their headquarters at the Huerta Estancia and he met their host, he asked about it.
“Who knows what the police are doing these days?” Señor Allesandro Huerta replied casually in perfect English. “They may have had to check out some sort of false tip. As I understand it, that sort of thing happens occasionally.”
“I think it must have been more than that,” the polo manager retorted. “They acted as though they were positive we had what they were looking for.”
The ranch owner shrugged his shoulders indifferently. “So long as they didn’t put you in jail, you should count yourself fortunate. Come on to the barn and I will show you where you will be stabling your horses.”
Señor Huerta showed Mr. Griffen the tack room he had emptied for their use while Chip and Biff unloaded the horses and watered and exercised them. The boys were carrying saddles into the tack room when they first met Hippolito.
“You have much work for to do, no?”
Biff laughed. “Not so much, really. Now that we’ve got the horses taken care of, we’ve only got to unload these saddles and gear.”
The gray-haired man hobbled toward the truck. “You need the help, no?”
“It’ll only take us a few minutes,” Chip replied.
“Maybe I could help you?” Hippy asked. “It is only soon that I got this job of doing that which no one else wants for to do. It is this week I come to the Huerta Estancia and Señor Allesandro Huerta say, ‘Hippy, you can try the work for me if you are able for to finding the work to do.’ ”
His smile flashed again. “So you are letting me help?”
“Sure thing,” Biff told him. “Grab a couple of those saddles. We’re taking them to the tack room.”
Hippy picked up two or three saddles and carried them into the tack room. He talked a little, casually, as they worked, but that was all. In spite of his limp, he was able to hold up his end of things, and it wasn’t long before they had the last of the gear in the tack room.
“He’s a nice old guy, isn’t he?” Biff said, locking the tack room door behind them and starting toward the bunkhouse where they would be staying with the rest of the men.
“He seems like a person who is used to a much more important job than being a ranch handy man,” Chip replied.
“Of course he’s getting older, and then he’s got that game leg.”
They were almost at the bunkhouse when Chip stopped and turned uncertainly to his companion. “Biff,” he began, “we’re going to be in the bunkhouse with the rest of the fellows, aren’t we?”
He nodded. “Sure. What about it?”
Color showed in his cheeks. “I was just wondering if–if it wouldn’t be better if we had our Bible reading and prayer out in the barn or–or somewhere away from the fellows?”
Bill looked at him quizzically. “I’ve never known that to bother you before,” he said.
“But we’re with men now. I–I’d just hate to have them think we’re religious fanatics.”
Biff hesitated. It had bothered him to bow his head and return thanks silently the first meal they had with Mr. Griffen and the fellows aboard ship. Not that anyone said anything, but one of the fellows had looked at him and Chip and had smiled depreciatively.
It would be easy to put off reading the Bible and having their evening devotions while they were living in the bunkhouse, or do as Chip suggested and hide somewhere to read, but how could that be a testimony?
“I feel the same way about it that you do,” Biff told him, “but do you suppose that’s the way God would have us to do?”
There were two or three Gauchos and a couple of American polo players in the bunkhouse when the boys came in and began to read their Bibles. They could feel the men’s eyes upon them, but nobody said anything.
Hippy came in and stood at the end of Biff’s bunk, looking at him curiously. Then he limped slowly away.
In spite of the momentary embarrassment, Biff had a warm feeling inside when they turned in that night. The feeling that comes from knowing that they had not been ashamed of the Gospel of Christ and the fact that they were Christians.
After the incident of the stolen saddle, the boys half expected Mr. Griffen to change their plans and leave the Huerta Estancia immediately, but he did not. He said no more about it beyond protesting mildly when Biff and Chip moved out of the bunkhouse to one of the box stalls near the tack room.
“It’s not necessary at all,” he said. “All you’ve got to do is see that the door is locked after you and we won’t have any trouble.”
“Just the same, we’d feel a little better if we were closer so we can keep an eye on it,” Biff said.
“Well, suit yourself.” He turned and walked away.
The first two or three days there was very little for Biff and Chip to do around the Estancia. They fed and watered the horses, exercising them during the mornings; in the afternoons they rode about the pampas or loafed in the shade.
Every now and then Hippolito would stop and talk with them. They soon got well acquainted with him and learned to like him a great deal.
