Bess laughed too now. "Isn't that just like me, always hunting for something and always finding it just where it ought to be?"
"I do that too," Laura sympathized as they three left the room. And so does everyone, but Bess had a habit of getting confused and impatient as soon as things went wrong and using all her energy in getting excited. Nan generally remained calm and found things. Laura was calm too and that because she never took anything very seriously. If she couldn't find one thing, another would do, and so she always went happily on her way.
Bess was thinking of this, as Nan pushed the button for the automatic elevator. "But you couldn't have substituted anything for the visitors' pass." She directed her remark to Laura as though they had been talking over the thing she was thinking about.
"Whatever are you talking about?" Laura laughed. "Or, is it a secret? You know what happens to people in this country who go around talking to themselves? They throw them to the bulls. Now, come on, Bessie," she finished. "You may be a harum-scarum child, but we love you. Cheer up."
At this, the elevator jolted and settled to its place on the first floor and the three girls stepped out to find Adair, Alice, Walker Jamieson and the rest all waiting for them.
"Thought you had cold feet, and were backing out." Walker Jamieson greeted them with this sally as they all walked down the entrance stairs and out to their waiting car.
"Look!" Nan pointed at a street car they were passing.
"Oh, you were too late," Nan answered while she adjusted her camera so that it would be ready for her to take pictures when she wanted to. "There was a sign on that car which said, 'Toreo.'"
"Bullfight, darling, that's where you are going now," Laura answered. "See, there's the sign that Nan saw again. It's on the front of that bus that's stopped across the street. This must be a holiday. Practically everyone seems to have dusted off his best sombrero and come out on the streets."
"It's a holiday everyday here." Adair MacKenzie turned around to join in the conversation. "Saw a calendar of festivals posted in the hotel lobby. No end to it. No wonder the people never get anything done."
"I saw that too," Walker Jamieson remarked. "Saw something else posted on a bulletin board that was interesting. It was a warning to everyone to take good care of his visitor's pass. Right beside it was the announcement of a reward being offered to anyone who could give information as to the whereabouts of one Antonio Mazaro, an American citizen and former aviator, who is suspected of being an accomplice in an international smuggling ring."