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He saw at once that there would be no imposing on the young Americano. The two harangued for a while, on general principles. Twice words rose so high that Merrihew thought they were about to come to blows. Tomass' shook his fingers under Hillard's nose and Hillard returned the compliment. Finally Tomass' compromised on one-lira-fifty per hour, with fifty centesimi pourboire. Crack-crack!
Then came the pursuers. "Where is he? What have you done with him?" demanded Lieutenant Navarro, excitedly. "Who, señor?" "The spy! The Americano!" "We have seen no one, only this brute of a horse." "But he was mounted on it. I saw him and fired. He fled in this direction, and we pursued him." "He must have been hit and fallen from the saddle."
From this hopeless state I was aroused by a wounded Mexican, calling out to me, 'Bueno Americano, and turning my eyes toward the spot, I saw that he was holding a certificate and calling to me. The tide of action now rolled away from me and hope again sprung up. The Mexican uniforms began to disappear from the chapparal, and squadrons of our troops passed in sight, apparently in pursuit.
"This is the Señor Americano whom you are to guide to Jiguani, and afterwards, if he requires it, to Santiago," said del Concha, Dionysio looked keenly at Ridge, but uttered no word. "He is ready to start." The negro stood up, to signify that he was also ready. "You will not let the Spaniards kill him," Dionysio tapped his machete significantly.
"An Americano." "Had you seen him about the place before?" "Never. He came in the night and went in the night." "Was he in uniform the uniform of a soldier?" "No; he wore citizen's clothes." "Which way did he come from?" "I don't know," was the surprising reply. "I first saw him when he was climbing in at the window." "Climbing in at the window!" repeated Captain Godwin.
The doors were bolted, and the two inmates of the apartment talked in whispers. "You understand your instructions?" "Yes, Excellency." "Repeat them." "I take the boat to-morrow go to Vencata. Keep watch upon the Americano the one whose name I have here." "John Derby, yes. But he is very big a giant. Make no mistake, find the one who is the padrone! And ? Continue!"
Plodgitt made up her mind that it was a foregone conclusion, and seriously reflected as to what she should wear on the momentous occasion. But that night poor Carmen cried herself to sleep, resolving that she would hereafter cast aside her wicked uncle for this good-hearted Americano, yet never once connected her innocent penmanship with the deadly feud between them.
Such instances were rare in the settlements of New Mexico; but what was rarer still, in this case the "Americano" was accompanied by an "Americana" the mother of Carlos and the same old woman who attracted so much attention on the day of San Juan. All the efforts of the padres to christianise either one or the other had been in vain.
Thode had caught a glimpse of the patio as he swung past; it had looked cool and green and inviting, with a fountain playing and little tables scattered about. What was it, anyway, and how could one meet a girl who lived there? The curious old tale of the Lost Souls' Pool was temporarily forgotten in speculations of a more warmly personal nature. Was she an Americano?
He was rolling a cigarette unconcernedly, but bending to the Customs officer, he said in a low voice: "My padrone is an Americano. An invalid, and a bit eccentric. Lots of money. A long time ago he injured his spine and can hardly move. He fell down a few days ago, and now I've got to take him to Professor Landrini, in Turin. He's pretty bad. We've come from Hyeres.
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