The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1919-07-02
CHAPTER TX.

The Key.
! Stairway had already recognized the
voice coming to them family from
the far eastern end Of the building;
a great fear for Teresa had already
leaped out upon him, and he had
flung open the door, running toward
her rooms.
Remember !" shouted Tore after
him, eff l die"
"Gaucho, Esteban, come with met"
called Stairway, his voice cutting
through Torres swift words. "The
rest of you stay with your prisoners.
Do not harm them-until come back.
They alone can help us save your
master and mistress. But if they try
to escape then shoot them like dogs 7"
And he was gone, running swiftly
through the long hall, his words
floating back across his shoulder. the
heavy boots of Gaucho and Esteban
pounding just behind him.
Door after door he flung open as
he raced on through the darkness,
waiting for no candle. He came at
last to the broad stairway leading up
to Teresa's rooms, Gaucho and Este
ban at his heels.
Here there was light, a candle burn
ing low upon the floor at the side of
Pedros couch. And Pedro
"They have killed himr' 1t was
Gaucho's voice in a little expression
less grunt
Pedro lay upon the floor at the side
of his couch, his body half covered
with the blankets which had fallen
with him, his face very white, smear
of blood across temple and cheek.
CelestinO,the vaquero who had spent
the night at Pedro's side, was not to
be seen.
Stairway, rushing up the stairs, his
revolver in his hand, bestowed only
one look upon the unconscious Pedro
and rushed at the door of Teresa's
room.
The door was locked. He called.
There was no answer. Everything
was perfectly still. He knocked at
the door loudly, calling again. And
now, when silence answered him, a
great fury swept through him, his
brain seemed to be on fire, his voice
seemed to him to come from a great
distances as he shouted for an ak.
The ak came, but he had not waited
for it. A heavy chair had splintered
against the oak panels. but the panels
themselves were no obstacle to the
fury of his attack. They burst at
last, his hand found the key in the
lock upon the other side of the door,
the door was flung open.
Nothing, nothing but emptiness and
wild disorder which told, had lie
needed the telling, of the girls alb
ductioni
That cry of hers had bespoken a
struggle, brief and Intellectual.
And Teresa was gone with nothing
behind to show whittier.
Stairway ran through all the rooms
of her dainty suite, calling. Silence
and emptiness were his answers. He
threw open the windows to her bal,
cony.
Horses" he shouted. "GauchO
run to the stables. They are taking
her across the border!''
The vaquerO, too, heard the thud
of running hOOfs out there in the
darkness beyond the oranges, under.
stood, and sped upon his errand.
''Here is poor Celestina, senor," said
Esteban. He was kneeling on the
little landing a few PAGES removed
from the spot where Pedro lay. 81
think that he is dead. They have
struck him on the head. Jesus Ma.
ria but it is nasty blow, and from
behind"
Stairway scarcely heard the man
He was looking for a ladder, seeking
to see how Teresa had been carried
from the house.
There was nothing.
He thought that there had beer
many men here; that a man below
had caught the girl in his arms as
she was dropped down to him; he
shuddered at the thought, and once
more was running, now down the
stairs, which he took almost at 6
bound, through the dim corridors, anC
toward the drawing room.
'The senorita?" several voices were
clamoring at him. "Have they
harmed her? Blood of the Savior
have they dared lay hand upon herT
"She is gone" he answered crfsply
"Listen, companeros. This is the
work of Tore yonder. You know that
But you must not harm him-yet
There is time. See that he does not
escape. If he does not bring the Sc
norita back to US safe, unframed
then we shall know what to do, shall
we not, companeros?"
They answered him by silence and
the quick turning of black, fierce eyes
upon the man who had this second
thing to answer to them for. Tore
summoned his old bravadO and the
smile which went with it
H. L n