CHAPTER XXIV.
THE APACHE CHIEF.
Immediately all in the room rose to their feet, Hal and Chester doinglikewise. Duval strode straight to the table in the center of the roomwithout so much as a glance about, and sat down at its head. Then theothers resumed their seats.
Duval turned to Georges.
"Are we all here?" he demanded, in a low, soft voice.
"Yes, sir," replied Georges, "and two besides."
"Bring the strangers before me," ordered the chief.
At a sign from Georges, Hal and Chester advanced and stood beforethe Apache king. The latter surveyed them long and carefullythrough his mask.
"Names?" he asked briefly.
The lads gave their assumed ones.
"You know what we are here for?" was the next question.
The lads signified that they did.
"And you are with us?"
"Yes," both replied.
"_Bien_! Back to your places."
The lads retired.
Now Duval rose and addressed the others.
"Since our last meeting it has been decided not to kidnap the President,"he said slowly.
Exclamations of disappointment escaped the men sitting about.
"But," continued Duval, "there nevertheless will be work for some of usthat will mean additional gold for all."
Cries of satisfaction greeted this statement.
"It has been decided," Duval went on, emphasizing each word, "thatthe President must be put out of the way. Are there any present whoobject to this?"
He swept the room with his gaze.
Hal and Chester, although taken somewhat aback by this cold-bloodedstatement, manifested no surprise. Neither was there a word from any ofthe assemblage, and Duval continued again:
"Now, for the honor of accomplishing this work you shall draw lots."
From his pocket he produced a small box.
"In here," he said calmly, "are enough balls so that each may have one.With the exception of two, all are black. The first man to select a redball--his shall be the fortune to do the work; and to him goes an extragold piece.
"That there may be no treachery, the man who picks the second red ballshall follow the first; and, in the event that he shows signs of a softheart, or manifests a desire to give a warning, the second man shall killhim. Is that plain to you?"
Cries of "yes, yes" filled the room.
"All right, then," said Duval. "We shall now proceed with the drawing."
He opened one side of the box, and motioned for the first man toapproach. The latter did so, drew forth a ball and exposed it to view. Itwas black, and the man passed on.
Man after man drew and each pulled forth a black ball. Now it cameChester's turn, and so far neither red ball had been drawn.
Slowly the lad approached with his heart in his mouth. To himselfhe muttered:
"I'll draw a red one just as sure as I stand here. I can feel it!"
For a moment he hesitated, and Duval's keen eyes caught the sign ofindecision. He half rose to his feet.
"We want no chicken-hearts," he said. "However, draw or not, asyou choose."
Chester caught the cold menace in the tone, and he realized that shouldhe fail to draw, knowing what he did of the plot, he would never leavethe room alive.
He thrust his hand into the box, clutched an elusive ball and drew itforth. He looked at it quickly and held it aloft.
The ball was red!
Immediately the men crowded about him and slapped him on the back.
"You are a lucky dog," exclaimed Jean; "an extra gold piece you'll get."
Chester had been so sure that he would draw one of the red balls thathe felt no surprise. Hal, however, was greatly agitated, and heconcealed his anxiety with an effort, as, being next in line, he alsoadvanced to draw.
"If I can get the other red one," he said to himself, "it may work outall right."
The same thought had struck Chester, and he leaned forward anxiously. Halthrust his hand into the box, then drew it forth again; and the ball thathe held up was black.
The lad heaved a sigh of disappointment as he returned to his place.
"Never mind," said Chester, "it will come out all right."
Next to the last man to draw was Jean Garnier. He thrust his handquickly into the box and pulled forth the second red ball. He was soelated that he cried out with joy. Then he ran to Chester and slappedhim on the back.
"Perhaps," said he, "we can work this together and share equally inthe prize."
Before Chester could reply, Duval rose once more to his feet and orderedthat all leave the room except those who held the red balls. Slowly themen filed out, Hal being among the last to go. Outside the lad walkedsome distance from the house, then, when he felt certain that the othershad disappeared, returned, and concealed himself in a dark alleywayacross the street, where he waited patiently for Chester to emerge.
As soon as the others had left the room, Duval called Chester and Jean tohim, and spoke in a low voice.
"This work must not be bungled," he said sternly. Then, to Jean, "and youare to see that it is not bungled. If this Victor makes one false move,you know what to do?"
Jean nodded his head in the affirmative.
"But," he added, "Victor will make no false move."
"I feel sure of that," replied Duval, "or I should not allow him to leavehere alive."
Then he addressed Chester.
"The President," he said, "will make an address from the steps of thePalace to-morrow at noon. I shall expect you to be in the crowd. When theproper moment comes, you will know what to do. Jean will be there to seeyou do it, and I myself shall be on hand to see that you both obey. Am Iunderstood?"
"Yes," said Chester.
Jean likewise nodded affirmatively.
"All right, then. Are you armed?"
Jean shook his head negatively, and so did Chester, in spite of the factthat he had two automatics concealed in his clothes, for he did not thinkit wise to betray this to Duval.
From his pockets the Apache chief produced a pair of automatics, oneof which he handed to each. Then he dismissed them with a flourishof his hand.
Jean led the way along the dark passageway and into the street. Hal, fromhis place of concealment, saw them emerge and followed them. A shortdistance from the den he came up with them. Jean, as well as Chester, wasdelighted to see him.
"Why," said Jean, "can't we all work together and make sure that the plotdoes not fail?"
"An excellent idea," said Chester.
He spoke to Hal in a whisper: "Watch the house and follow Duval when hecomes out."
Hal, accordingly, did not fall in with Jean's plan.
"I am glad to be out of it," he said. "It's too dangerous to suit me. No,Victor, there, is different. He likes the spice of danger, and so mayyou. But I prefer to get my gold easier, in the streets."
Jean shrugged his shoulders in contempt.
"I thought you were a brave man," he said. "Come on, Victor; we have notime for cowards."
He took Chester by the arm and the two walked off down the street, whileHal again concealed himself in the dark alley opposite the Apaches' den,where he waited for Duval to emerge.
His patience was soon rewarded. A dim figure appeared in the doorway andpeered cautiously about. Then it slipped quietly to the street and stroderapidly away in the darkness. Hal slipped from his concealment and,keeping a respectable distance behind, set out in pursuit. For severalblocks Duval continued slowly; then stopped suddenly at a corner. Halimmediately slunk from sight into the shelter of a doorway.
Duval raised a hand, and a moment later a taxi dashed up and stoppedbefore him. Duval climbed in and the taxi moved away.
Hal, however, was not to be shaken off thus easily. Running forwardquickly he succeeded in catching hold of the taxi and pulling himself upbehind. In this way he rode for perhaps half an hour.
Abruptly the machine came to a halt and Hal quickly jumped to the
groundand into a doorway, where he peered forth in time to see Duval alight.
The man was now without a mask, and Hal perceived the clear countenanceof a Frenchman of the upper class, whose age must have been somewhere inthe thirties. He strode rapidly down the street, and, turning a corner,mounted the steps of a handsome residence just beyond. Hal came aroundthe corner just in time to see his quarry enter the door.
The lad took the number of the house and also the name of the street.These he impressed firmly upon his memory by repeating them over andover. Then he quietly ascended the steps of the house and tried the door.It was locked.
The lad descended the steps again and walked round the house, seekingsome other means of entrance. In the narrow areaway he saw a smallwindow, apparently opening into the cellar. He tried it. It was unlockedand gave easily before the pressure of his hand.
Hal lay flat upon the ground and pushed his feet through the opening.Then, slowly, he let his body through until he hung by his hands. He didnot know how far his feet might be from the floor, but it was no time tohesitate. He released his hold and dropped.
There came a crash so loud it might have raised the dead.