A Daughter of the Dons: A Story of New Mexico Today

  CHAPTER XVIII

  MANUEL INTERFERES

  Valencia had scarcely left the parlor to telephone for the sheriffbefore Manuel flashed a knife and cut the rope that tied his prisoner'shands.

  Sebastian had shrunk back at sight of the knife, but when he found thathe was free he stared at Pesquiera in startled amazement.

  "Come! Let's get out of here. We can talk when you are free of danger,"said Manuel with sharp authority in his voice.

  He led the way into the corridor, walked quickly down one passage andalong another, and so by a back stairway into the alley in the rear.Within a few minutes they were a quarter of a mile from the El Tovar.

  Sebastian, still suspicious, yet aware that for some reason Don Manuelwas unexpectedly on his side, awaited explanations.

  "_Dona_ Valdes is quite right, Sebastian. She means well, but she is,after all, a woman. This is a man's business, and you and I can settleit better alone." Manuel smiled with an air of frank confidence at hisformer prisoner. "You are in a serious fix--no doubt at all about that.The question is to find the best way out."

  _"Si, Senor"_.

  Pesquiera's bright black eyes fastened on him as he flung a question atthe man. "I suppose this Gordon is still alive."

  Sebastian nodded gloomily. "He is like a cat with its nine lives. Wehave beaten and starved him, but he laughs--this Gringo devil--and tellsus he will live to see us wearing stripes in prison."

  _"Muy bien."_ Manuel talked on briskly, so as to give the slower-wittedMexican no time to get set in obstinacy. "I should be able to arrangematters then. We must free the man after I have his word to tellnothing."

  "But he will run straight to the sheriff," protested Sebastian.

  "Not if he gives his word. I'll see to that. Where have you him hidden?"The young Spaniard asked the question carelessly, almost indifferently,as if it were merely a matter of course.

  Sebastian opened his mouth to tell--and then closed it. He had had nointention of telling anything. Now he found he had told everythingexcept their hiding-place. The suspicion which lay coiled in his heartlifted its head like a snake. Was he being led into a trap? Would DonManuel betray him to the law? The gleaming eyes of the man narrowed andgrew hard.

  Manuel, intuitively sensing this, hurried on. "It can be a matter ofonly hours now until they stumble upon your hiding-place. If thishappens before we have come to terms with Gordon you are lost. I havecome to town to save you and Pablo. But I can't do this unless you trustme. Take me to Gordon and let me talk with him. Blindfold me if youlike. But lose no time."

  As Sebastian saw it, this was a chance. He knew Manuel was an honestman. His reputation was of the best. Reluctantly he gave way.

  "The _Americano_ is at the Valdes house," he admitted sulkily.

  "At the Valdes house? Why, in Heaven's name, did you take him there?"

  "How could we tell that the _Senorita_ would come to town? The house wasempty. Pablo worked there in the stables as a boy. So we moved in."

  A quarter of an hour later Pablo opened the outer basement door inanswer to the signal agreed upon by them. He had left the prisoner uponthe bed with his hands tied. Sebastian entered. Pablo noticed thatanother man was standing outside. Instantly his rifle covered him. For,though others of their countrymen had been employed to help captureGordon, none of these knew where he was hidden.

  "It is Don Manuel Pesquiera," explained Sebastian. "I brought him hereto help us out of this trouble we are in. Let him in and I will tell youall."

  For an instant Pablo suspected that his accomplice had sold him, but hedismissed the thought almost at once. He had known Sebastian all hislife. He stepped aside and let Pesquiera come into the hall.

  The three men talked for a few minutes and then passed into the bedroomwhere the prisoner was confined. Evidently this had formerly been theapartment of the cook, who had slept in the basement in order no doubtto be nearer her work. Pesquiera looked around and at last made out afigure in the darkness lying upon the bed.

  He stepped forward, observing that the man on the bed had his handsbound. Bending down, he recognized the face of Gordon. Beaten andbruised and gaunt from hunger it was, but the eyes still gleamed withthe same devil-may-care smile.

  "Happy to meet you, Don Manuel."

  The Spaniard's heart glowed with admiration. He did not like the man. Itwas his intention to fight him as soon as possible for the insult thathad been put upon him some weeks earlier. But his spirit always answeredto the call of courage, and Gordon's pluck was so debonair he could notrefuse a reluctant appreciation.

  "I regret to see you thus, Mr. Gordon," he said.

  "Might have been worse. Sebastian has had se-vere-al notions aboutputting me out of business. I'm lucky to be still kicking."

  "I have come from Miss Valdes. She came to Santa Fe when she heard fromyour friend Mr. Davis that you had disappeared. To-night we sawSebastian for the first time. He brought me here."

  "Good of him," commented Dick ironically.

  "You will be freed of course--at once." Manuel drew out his knife andcut the cords that bound the prisoner. "But I must ask your forbearancein behalf of Sebastian and Pablo and the others that have injured you.May I give them your pledge not to appear as a witness against them forwhat they have done?"

  "Fine! I'm to be mauled and starved and kidnaped, but I'm to say 'Thankyou kindly' for these small favors, hoping for a continuance of thesame. You have another guess coming, Mr. Pesquiera. I offered thoseterms two days ago. They weren't accepted. My ideas have changed. I'mgoing to put your friends behind the bars--unless you decide to let themmurder me instead. I've been the goat long enough."

  "Your complaint is just, Mr. Gordon. It iss your right to enforce thelaw. Most certainly it iss your right. But consider my position.Sebastian brought me here only upon my pledge to secure from you apromise not to press your rights. What shall I do? I must see that youare released. That goes without saying. But shall I break faith with himand let him be delivered to justice? I have given my word, remember."

  Gordon looked up at him with his lean jaw set. "You couldn't give _my_word, could you? Very well. Go away. Forget that you've seen me. I'll bea clam so far as you are concerned. But if I get free I'm going to makethings hot for these lads that think they can play Ned with me. They'regoing to the pen, every last one of them. I'm going to see this thingout to a finish and find out if there's any law in New Mexico."

  Manuel stiffened. "You put me in an awkward position, Mr. Gordon. I haveno choice but to see you are set at liberty. But my honor is involved.These men shall not go to prison. They have made a serious mistake, butthey are not what you call criminals. You know well----"

  "I know that they and their friends have shot at me, ambushed me, beatenme, and starved me. They've been wanting to kill me ever since they gotme here--at least one of them has--but they just didn't have the guts todo it. What is your definition of a criminal anyhow? Your friends herefill the specifications close enough to suit me. I ain't worried abouttheir being too good for the company they'll join at the pen."

  "You are then resolve', _Senor_?"

  "That's what I am. I'm going to see they get the limit. I've not got athing against you, Mr. Pesquiera, and I'd like to oblige you if I could.But I'm playing this hand myself."

  The Spaniard spoke to him in a low voice. "These men are the people ofMiss Valdes. She drove all night across the mountains to get here soonerwhen she found you were gone. She offered and paid a reward of onehundred dollars to help find you. Do you not owe something to her?"

  "I owe one hundred dollars and my thanks, sir. I'll pay them both. ButMiss Valdes cannot ask me to give up prosecuting these men because shewould not stand back and see murder done."

  "Will you then leave it to her to punish these men?"

  "No. I pay my own debts."

  Manuel was troubled. He had expected to find the prisoner so eager forrelease that he would consent at once to his proposal. Instead, he founda man hard and cold
as steel. Yet he had to admit that Gordon claimedonly his rights. No man could be expected to stand without an appeal tothe law such outrageous treatment as he had been given.

  "Will you consent then to settle the matter with me, man to man? Thesemen are but peons. They are like cattle and do not think. But I--I am amore worthy foeman. Let me take the burden of their misdeeds on myshoulders."

  Dick wagged a forefinger at him warningly. "Now you've got thatswashbuckler notion of a duel again. I'm no cavalier of Spain, but aplain American business man, Don Quixote. As for these jail-birds"--hishand swept the room to include the Mexicans--"since I'm an unregeneratehuman I mean to make 'em pay for what they've done. That's all there isto it."

  Don Manuel bowed. "Very good, Mr. Gordon. We shall see. I promise youthat I shall stand between them and prison. I offer you a chance to winthe friendship of the Mexicans in the valley. You decline. So be it. Iwash my hands, sir."

  He turned away and gave directions to Pablo, who left the room at once.The Spaniard called for candles and lit two. He pointedly ignoredGordon, but sat with his hands in his pockets whistling softly a popularair.

  About a quarter of an hour later Pablo returned with a hot meal on atray. Gordon, having done without food for two days, ate his ham andeggs and drank his coffee with an appetite given to few men. MeanwhilePesquiera withdrew to the passage and laid down an ultimatum to theMexicans. They must take horse at once and get back to the hills abovethe Rio Chama Valley. He would bring saddle horses from a stable so thatthey could start within the hour and travel all night.

  The Mexicans listened sullenly. But they knew that the matter was nowout of their hands. Since the arrival of Pesquiera it had becomemanifestly impossible to hold their prisoner longer. They agreed to theplan of the Spaniard reluctantly.

  After Pablo and Sebastian had taken horse Pesquiera returned to theprisoner.

  "We will, if it pleases you, move upstairs, Mr. Gordon," he announced."To-night I must ask you to remain in the house with me to give thosepoor fools a little start on their ride for freedom. We shall findbetter beds upstairs no doubt."

  "They're hitting the trail, are they?" Dick asked negligently as hefollowed his guide.

  "Yes. If you'll give me your parole till morning, Mr. Gordon, I shall beable to return to Miss Valdes and let her know that all is well.Otherwise I shall be obliged to sit up and see that you do not getactive in interfering with the ride of Pablo and his friend."

  "I'll stay here till seven o'clock to-morrow morning. Is that lateenough? Then I'll see the sheriff and start things moving."

  Pesquiera bowed in his grand, formal manner. "The terms satisfy. I wishMr. Gordon a very good night's sleep. This room formerly belonged to thebrother of Miss Valdes. It is curious, but she was here airing this roomonly to-day. She did not know you were in the house at the time. _Adios,Senor._"

  "Good night, Mr. Pesquiera. I reckon I'm in your debt quite a bit. Sorrywe couldn't agree about this little matter of what to do with the boys."

  Manuel bowed again and withdrew from the room.

  Inside of ten minutes Gordon was fast asleep.