CHAPTER XII
IN WHICH AN OVERTURE IS MADE, AN ANSWER IS POSTPONED AND A DOOR IS LOCKED
In his bedroom Jim Kendric sat for a long time pondering that night.What had appeared to him the simplest, most straight-away errand in theworld had brought him down here, just the time-honored search fortreasure. In all particulars the adventure had seemed the usual one,two men undertaking to share whatever lay ahead, expense, danger orloot. And through no fault of his own Kendric saw simplicity alteredinto complexity. There were Barlow's changed attitude, the desires andambitions of Zoraida, the absurdity of Bruce West's infatuation, theinterference of Ruiz Rios and finally the situation in which BettyGordon found herself.
"I came down this way to get my hands on buried treasure, if itexists," Kendric at last told himself irritably; "not to work out thesalvations of half the souls in Mexico! If the issue becomes complexit is because I am getting turned away from the main thing. WhatBarlow and Bruce do is up to them; Barlow, for one, ought to knowbetter, and Bruce has got to cut his eye-teeth sooner or later. It'sup to me to be on my way."
Which did not entirely dispose of all matters, since it ignored Zoraidaand made no place for Betty. The latter, however, he did not bar fromhis thoughts or even from his plannings: If she said the word and wouldtake the chance with him, he'd find the way to get her safely out ofthis house of intrigue. He was constitutionally optimistic enough todecide that. Among the bushes out in the garden a rifle was hidden;slung under his left arm pit was a dependable friend; and in his hearthe was spoiling for a row.
Such was his mood, an hour after he had gone to his room, when a rapdiscreetly announced a soft-footed somebody at his door. He roseeagerly, thinking it would be Bruce or perhaps Barlow. But when heopened the door it was Ruiz Rios who slipped noiselessly into the room,swiftly closing and locking the door after him.
"Not in bed yet, my friend?" smiled Rios. "It is well. I havesomething to say to you."
Kendric went back to his chair from which he eyed Rios narrowly. TheMexican's look was full of craft.
"Let's have it, Rios. What now?"
"What I said to you earlier in the evening came from the heart," saidRios. "That without my help you cannot leave; that you may have thathelp. For a price."
His utterance was incisive; his voice, eager and quick, filled theroom. Evidently he had no fear of eavesdroppers. Kendric stared athim curiously.
"For a double-dealing gentleman you have considerable assurance," hegrunted. "You don't seem to care who hears."
Rios waved an impatient hand.
"I know what I am about," he retorted. "La Senorita Zoraida is in herown rooms where she entertains one of your friends while the othercools his heels in her anteroom. I have assurance, yes; because justnow I am the man of the hour! Your destiny and that of yourcompatriot, Miss Betty, as well as the destinies of your two friendsand perchance of yet others, lies in my hand."
"You talk big when Zoraida's eyes are not on you," said Kendric.
Rios stared insolently, then shrugged and made for himself a tiny whitepaper _cigarita_.
"I talk big because I can, as you say north of the border, 'deliver thegoods.' Do you wish to go free?"
"Since you ask it," said Kendric drily, "yes. I've got no stomach foryour crowd here."
"And you would like to take with you the pretty little Betty?" Rios'seyes were full of insinuation. Kendric felt an impulsive desire tokick him but for the time kept his head and witheld his boot.
"Speak on, Senor Man of the Hour," he jeered. "Somehow I'm notparticularly sleepy yet. If you've really got anything to say let'shave it."
"It is this: The treasure you have come so far to find will never beyours. Mine it may be; if not mine, then Zoraida's. On my honor itwill never go into your hands or those of Barlow."
"Your honor," laughed Kendric, "fits well in your mouth, Ruiz Rios, butrides light in the scales."
"You mean you would want proof?" Rios was imperturbable. "It may begiven you in due time, but only when it is too late for you to make anystock out of it. Now, for what you know, I offer you your own safetyand that of Miss Betty. Have I not marked how you look at her?" Helaughed in his turn.
"If this is all you have to say," answered Kendric, "suppose you shutthe door from the outside?"
For just now, while he had thought of other matters, he had pondered onthis one also. Even were he disposed to treat with Rios, the secretwas not his to give. Further, once Rios had the knowledge he sought,he would no doubt fail to keep his word. And in any case there wasalways the possibility of getting away without the Mexican's aid; andif there was treasure, as Rios so plainly believed, it should be worthmany times the twenty-five thousand dollars which had been demanded ofBetty's father. On top of all this it was sheer nonsense to plan onwhat Betty might have to say until her word was spoken. Hence Jim wasno little pleased to baffle Rios.
"You are thinking of yourself," said Rios sharply. "Not of the girl.Can you not imagine that it might be unpleasant for her, left here overlong?"
Then Kendric sought to be as crafty as his visitor.
"Am I responsible for all wandering damsels in distress?" he askedcoldly.
"But Miss Betty----"
"Exactly. What the devil is Miss Betty to me? I never saw her until afew hours ago."
"But," insisted Rios, "in some soils some flowers bloom quickly! Lovecomes when it comes, in a year, in a day, in a moment."
"Love!" Jim's surprise was not altogether feigned. Then he laughedand remembered his craft. He was thinking that already Zoraidasuspected him of being too warmly interested; he did not know but thatRios was here now on Zoraida's errand, making pretenses the while hesought to ferret out real emotions. And so for Zoraida's sake shouldthe words be carried to her, he cried as though in high amusement:"Love? What are you thinking of, man?"
He saw that he had puzzled Rios. The Mexican had been convinced of hiskeen interest in the girl and, further, knew from of old how lightlyJim Kendric held such mere bagatelles as dollars. Kendric drew acertain satisfaction from the situation. But his frank grin died awayslowly as Rios went on.
"We are not friends, you and I, senor," he said smoothly. "But justnow that matters not, since my personal interests move me to do you akindness. Of what happens to you later on, I care less than that." Hesnapped his fingers. "Perhaps you do not fully understand either yourown case or that of Miss Betty. You are to be held here indefinitely;unless you decide to throw your lot in with La Senorita Zoraida's andbecome her man, body and soul, there will come a time, suddenly, whenher patience will die and her wrath rise and you will die too. And forMiss Betty--there remains always the puma."
Rios spoke with every sign of sincerity. Kendric, with what he knew ofZoraida to guide his thoughts to a conclusion, was more than halfconvinced that the man was telling the truth. Rios himself was notabove murder; hardly now had the body of Escobar stiffened when heseemed to have forgotten the rebel captain and the deed of violence.And Zoraida was Rios's blood cousin.
"You appear to be sure that there is treasure?" Kendric said.
"Yes. There is no question." Again was Rios unusually frank. "Icould lie to you but there is no need. The treasure is beyond yourreach; it may fall to my hand. Yes, I am sure."
"What do you know of it? What makes you so confident?"
Rios smiled.
"Again there is no need to lie to you. You have marked that my cousinis a very rich woman? There is no richer in all Mexico. And why?Because she has long been in possession of a portion of the hiddenwealth of the Montezumas. A _portion_, mark you? For there is somesign which she has understood to tell her that there is still otherhidden treasure. Always, since she was a little girl, has she lookedfor it, never content with what she has. And if I come first toit--Think, senor!" His eyes brightened, a flush warmed his dusky skin,he lifted his head arrogantly. "It will mean that I, even I, candictate in some things to Zoraid
a! It will mean that she must joinforces with me. It will mean that she and I together will go far, willrise high. As she will be the one bright star in all Mexico, so will Ibe the newly risen sun."
"So," muttered Kendric, "you two are tarred with the same stick!"
Now Rios's black eyes were deadly.
"What you know means everything to me," he said, his voice at last sunkto a harsh whisper. "I killed Escobar for less. Remember that, SenorAmericano!"
Kendric ignored the threat.
"What of my friend?" he demanded. "Even were I of a mind to talkturkey with you, there is Barlow. Half is his."
"Barlow is touched with madness. Have I not told you he will have noneof it? You have eyes, senor. Already my fair cousin has made ofBarlow a tame animal like her cat. When she commands, he will speak.Think you he will remember in that dizzy moment that you have claims tobe safeguarded? All will go to Zoraida. What you are pleased to callyour share, along with his own."
Jim hated to believe that. And yet he did believe. Tonight Barlow hadlooked at him out of hard, unfriendly eyes; he, himself, had shotBarlow out of a cattle raider's saddle.--Suddenly, startling Rios,Kendric's fist came smashing down on his table.
"Here I've just been deciding the whole game is simple enough," hecried, "and along you come messing it all up again! Clear out. I'mgoing to sleep."
"And my answer?"
"Talk to me tomorrow, if you've a mind to. Most likely I'll tell youto go to blazes, but that can be said as well after breakfast as now."
Rios accepted his dismissal equably.
"For me there is gold at stake," he said, going out without protest."For you there is your life and Miss Betty's. I can afford to wait aswell as you. _Buenos noches, senor_."
"Go to the devil," retorted Kendric, and banged the door shut after him.
Though he had not intimated his intention to his visitor, Kendric,holding to his determination to simplify matters, had made up his mindto have a talk with Barlow first of all. Since that could not comeuntil tomorrow, the thing now was to go to bed. He undressed and putout his light. Then he flipped up his window shade. Only when he wasabout to thrust his head out of the open window to inhale the fragrantnight air and have his little "look around," did he discover the barsto any possible escape there; a heavy iron grill had been fastenedacross the opening. Just how it was secured he could not tell since ithad been set in place from outside and though he thrust his handthrough the bars he could not reach far enough to locate the staples orhooks which held it in place. He shook it tentatively; it was amplysolid.
But the door was open from his room to the bath. He groped his wayacross the smaller room and found the knob of the door which led to theroom Barlow had occupied last night. That door was locked. As hefumbled with it he heard someone stir in Barlow's room.
"Who's there?" he called out. "That you, Twisty?"
There was no answer. He rapped on the door and called again. Then heheard quick steps across the room and a door closed; whoever had beenthere, listening without doubt to his talk with Rios, had gone.
He came back and passing through his own little sitting-room tried thedoor to the hall, that through which Rios had departed. Fastened byheavy iron hooks on the other side; he could hear them grate in theirstaples as he shook the door.
"A man had better be in bed this time of night than rapping at lockeddoors," he decided. And in five minutes was asleep.