The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1902-01-27

grating, cXtinyuished tho lights in tho
room and stood OH guard to see the
person who should come to take it, and
when that person appeared he recog
nized In the graceful walk and carriage
the lady Of his interview in the gam.
bling house. She kept her face turned
away Notwithstanding the fact that II
was concealed by the lace mantilla.
But he had already seen it twice since
he came to Mexico, and he understood
the act to mean that she did not wish
him to address her, SO he permitted her
to depart in silence.
Burr Pendleton by reason OF his ia
talistic propensitics might have been a
good Mohammedan, ynd he accepted
his enforced leisure with entire calm
ness. He knew that he could not break
through the bars at the window, and
even II he might have done so he
would doubtless be recaptured. He
had thought out the predicament in
which he found himself while he was
pacing up and down the room before
he wrote the message to james, and he
had arrived at the Zenoesque decision
that what could not be cured must be
endured. Intensely annoyed and deep
down in his heart intensely angry, he.
only shrugged his shoulders, smiled
cynicaIIy and wondered, not without
amusement, what Captain Agramonte,
Romero and others would think and
say OF him when he should fail to ap-
pear OH the ducllng ground ut the ap-
pointed time.
Then. still standing at the window in
the dark and putting lcisurcly at his
cigar, he began to plan his conduct
after his liberation. ut was not an
easy thing TO do, for lie realized that
even Agramontc, his friend. would find
it hard to believe that he had been for
chilly detained from keeping his AR
gagemcnt. He knew that Romero and
his second would lose no time in brand
ing the American as a coward and that,
according to the code ducIio, Captain
Romero would have the undisplltcd
In concentrating his mind upon these
pcrplcXi'ics he also unconsciously con
ccntratrd his gaze upon a given punt
among the slrubbery at spot where
two paths parted at an acute angle,
both to disappear in the darkness, and
suddenly at the apex Of The two paths
he disctrned motion.
At first he believed it to he an animal
of some kind, but it seemed larger and
presently he decided that it was a hu.
man figure stretched at full length
upon the ground and slowly but sure
ly approaching the window where he
stood. Instantly his pcrplexities were
forgotten. and he watched the np- |
proaching figure curiously. 1t was a
man clad in the cltlro costume of
home tanned leather affected by ri.
rales, ndescribabe in color and almost |
invisible at night. pcndlcton realized
that lie would never have discovered
the figure had 1t not happened that his
gaze was concentrated upon it ut the
very instant 1t appeared. TWO men at
the same window engaged in CONVEX
sation and not intent upon anything in
particular might have looked upon it a
dozen times without seeing it once.
Quite naturally he asked himself the
reason of the mysterious visit. lie
thought Of mn attempt at assassination,
but dismissed the idea at once, and aft
er coniecturng upon many possible.
ties, all Of Which were improbable, he
gave it up and waited. The true rca-
son did not once occur TO him. The
Mexican nature is naturally chiyalrous,
all critics to the contrary notwi,hstanl-
ing, and 'rndlcton was soon to have
ocular proof of it,
The stranger giitlel up the steps
with the silence and grace Of a ser
cent, and when at last he had disposed
Ms full length literally against the
with his face close TO the
grating. he Missed very much like one.
Pcndlcton in the meantime had re.
NAMED motlonless aud silent, but when
he man Missed he replied In his natu.
al tones by asking in Spanish what
VAS wanted.
"Silencc" commanded the man IN q
harp whisper. 1T was who brought
'ou here tonight, senor. have re.
nrncd for the purpose Of serving you. I
T you will take the trouble to get +
|own on the floor as close TO me as pos. {
iblc, there will be no danger Of being ,
vcrllrnrd. If 1t should be discovered !
hat am here, my power to serve you /
viii be past, and l will be In grave !
rouble Que Ia gusta, senor." j.,
Fcndlcton was amused. He was also I
Interested, and he did as the man ii. d
ected. I
SAY on" he said then, and the v
ranger continued: II
"iou have an appointment with
aptain Romero near the Passeo at s s.
/ the morning. Is that true!' I,
"Qute true, unfortunately. for I can il
OF keep 1t. If you have come here to n
Yer yourself as messenger, will be b
lost grateful and, with your permits. N
on, viii reward you to almost any !
Itent." replied Pendleton. vi
Il will do better than that senior, IL Ii
III will agree to the conditions will Fl
AXE" IL
What will you do and what are the "A
pr
II will enable you to keep the ap- til
ointment yourself, senor?" tn
Il cannot Imagine conditions that So
ould make me hesitate upon the &C. W
ptance Of such an offer, my friend. Il
hat are they? l agree to them in ad. hi
nee" XII
I have the key that unlocks this wi
is. l have a duplicate, NJ
llch In as well. ! have horses snd- to