XIII
The return of Pablo Artelan to the hacienda with his employer'sprisoner was a silent and dignified one up to the moment they reachedthe entrance to the palm avenue. Here the prisoner, apparently havinggathered together his scattered wits, turned in the saddle andaddressed his guard.
"Artelan," he said, in Spanish, "if you will permit me to go, I willgive you five thousand dollars."
"If you are worth five thousand dollars to me," the imperturbable Pabloreplied, calmly, "how much more are you worth to Don Miguel Farrel?"
"Ten thousand! You will be wealthy."
"What need have I for wealth, Loustalot? Does not Don Miguel provideall things necessary for a happy existence?"
"I will give you twelve thousand. Do not be a fool, Artelan. Come; besensible and listen to reason."
"Silence, animal! Is not the blood of my brother on your head? Oneword--"
"Fifteen thousand, Artelan. Quick. There is little time to--"
Pablo rode up beside him and quite deliberately smote the man heavilyacross the mouth with the back of his hand.
"There will be no more talk of money," he commanded, tersely.
John Parker had finished writing his letters and was standing, with hiswife and the potato baron, in front of the hacienda when Pablo and hisprisoner rode into the yard. Thin rivulets of blood were tricklingfrom the Basque's nose and lips; his face was ashen with rage andapprehension.
"Why, Loustalot, what has happened?" Parker cried, and stepped out tointercept the gray gelding, but Pablo, riding behind, struck the grayon the flank, and the animal bounded forward. But Parker was not to bedenied. He, too, leaped, seized the reins, and brought the animal to ahalt. Pablo glared at him hatefully; then, remembering that this manwas no longer an interloper, but an honored guest of the house ofFarrel, he removed his sombrero and bowed courteously.
"Senor Parker," he explained, "thees man, Loustalot, have made the beegmeestake to steal thees horse from Don Miguel Farrel. For long timesince Don Miguel he's beeg like leetle baby, thees Basque he cannot setthe foot on the Rancho Palomar, but to-day, because he theenk DonMiguel don' leeve, theese fellow have the beeg idea she's all right forcome to theese rancho. Well, he come." Here Pablo shrugged. "I thinkmebbeso you tell theese Loustalot Don Miguel have come back._Car-ramba_! He is scared like hell. Queeck, like rabbeet, he run forthose automobile, but those automobile she have one leak in the wheel._Senor_, thees is the judgment of God. Myself, I theenk the speerit ofDon Miguel's father have put the nail where thees fellow can peeck heemup. Well, when hee's nothing for do, hee's got for do sometheeng, eh?_Mira_! If Don Miguel catch thees coyote on the Rancho Palomar, hee'scut off hees tail like that"--and Pablo snapped his tobacco-stainedfingers. "Queeck! Hee's got for do something for make the vamose.The Senorita Parker, she rides Panchito and holds the gray horse forDon Miguel, who has gone for get the dogs. Thees animal, Loustalot,hee's go crazy with the fear, so he grab thees gray horse from theSenorita Parker and hee's ride away fast like the devil just when DonMiguel arrive with the hounds. Then Don Miguel, hee's take Panchitoand go get thees man."
"But where are Don Miguel and Miss Parker now?"
"Mees Parker, she take the automobile; the senorita and Don Miguel goto El Toro. Me, I come back with thees Basque for put heem in thecalaboose."
"But, Pablo, you cannot confine this man without a warrant."
Pablo, too polite to argue with a guest, merely bowed and smileddeprecatingly.
"My boss, hee's tell me put thees fellow in the calaboose. If troublecome from thees--well, Don Miguel have the fault, not Pablo Artelan.If the _senor_ please for let go the gray horse--no?"
"Farrel has gone to El Toro to attach my bank-account and my sheep,"the Basque explained in a whisper, leaning low over the gray's neck."His father had an old judgment against me. When I thought youngFarrel dead, I dared do business--in my own name--understand? Now, ifhe collects, you've lost the Rancho Palomar--help me, for God's sake,Parker!"
Parker's hand fell away from the reins.
"I have no sympathy for you, Loustalot," he replied, coldly. "If youhave stolen this horse, you must pay the penalty. I shall not helpyou. This is no affair of mine." And he stepped aside and wavedLoustalot back into Pablo's possession, who thanked him politely androde away round the hacienda wall. Three minutes later, Loustalot, hishands unbound, was safe under lock and key in the settlement-room, andPablo, rifle in lap, sat on a box outside the door and rolled abrown-paper cigarette.
Throughout the preceding colloquy, Mrs. Parker had said nothing. WhenPablo and his prisoner had disappeared, she asked her husband:
"What did that man say to you? He spoke in such a low tone I couldn'thear him."
Parker, without hesitation, related to her, in the presence of Okada,the astonishing news which Loustalot had given him.
"Good!" the lady declared, emphatically. "I hope that delightful DonMike collects every penny."
"Very poor business, I zink," Mr. Okada opined, thoughtfully.
"At any rate," Parker observed, "our host isn't letting the grass growunder his feet. I wonder if he'll attach Loustalot's automobile. It'snew, and worth about eight thousand dollars. Well, we shall see whatwe shall see."
"I zink I take little walk. 'Scuse me, please," said Okada, and bowedto Parker and his wife. He gave both the impression that he had beenan unwilling witness to an unhappy and distressing incident and wishedto efface himself from the scene. Mrs. Parker excused him with a briefand somewhat wintry smile, and the little Oriental started strollingdown the palm-lined avenue. No sooner had the gate closed behind them,however, than he hastened back to Loustalot's car, and at the end often minutes of furious labor had succeeded in exchanging the deflatedtire for one of the inflated spare tires at the rear of the car. Thismatter attended to, he strolled over to the ranch blacksmith shop andsearched through it until he found that which he sought--a long, heavypair of bolt-clippers such as stockmen use for dehorning young cattle.Armed with this tool, he slipped quietly round to the rear of Pablo's"calaboose," and went to work noiselessly on the small iron-grilledwindow of the settlement-room.
The bars were an inch in diameter and too thick to be cut with thebolt-clippers, but Okada did not despair. With the tool he grasped theadobe window-ledge and bit deeply into it. Piece after piece of theancient adobe came away, until presently the bases of the iron bars layexposed; whereupon Okada seized them, one by one, in his hands and bentthem upward and outward, backward and forward, until he was enabled toremove them altogether. Then he stole quietly back to the blacksmithshop, restored the bolt-clippers, went to the Basque's automobile, andwaited.
Presently, Loustalot appeared warily round the corner. A glance at hisautomobile showed that the flat tire had been shifted; whereupon henodded his thanks to the Japanese, who stared impassively while theBasque climbed into his car, threw out his low gear, let go his brakes,and coasted silently out of the yard and into the avenue. The haciendascreened him from Pablo's view as the latter, all unconscious of whatwas happening, dozed before the door of the empty settlement-room.Once over the lip of the mesa, Loustalot started his car and sped downthe San Gregorio as fast as he dared drive.