The Lambertville record., 1919-10-03
COPYRIGHT
CHAPTER XIi-Continued.

''-N1- sNS soSAoIihoA yOu [atldf
Senor Stairway, l should be glad to
nave you accompany me-"
Already his foot was upon the first
step. Stairway laid quick hand upon
his arm
Surely you do not think of coming
upon them this way"
Surely" smiled the old man, "they
are my guests, l am the host / am
going to them"
He went slowly up the short flight
of stairs, Stairway close at his heels,
wondering. At the top was a little
door. De la Guerra raped softly with
the barrel of his revolver
There was a sudden silence in the
room, voices dropped to whispers. De
la Guerra knockel again.
"WellT' 1t was Torres voice,
sharp. impatient. "Whu is it?"
ut is 1, Senior Tore" answered the
old man, quietly. "And / am Antonio
de La Guerra. bring my apologies for
being so tardy to wait upon a guest
and / come to talk with you"
Again silence. again hurried whis-
pers, then Tore crying out:
What have you TO say? l can put
bullet through the door which will
find you! If you will open the safe,
let us take the gold and go; you may
keep the silver and stay. What do you
say?"
De la Guerra laughed softly. And
then, seriously, he answered:
Il say, my dear Senor Tore. you
are talking bravely; but that you at
last are in no position to dictate 1t is
| who dictate. Let me come in that
we may talk, or / shall have to have
Vidal chop down some more of my
doors. And l do not like to do that"
Tore hesitated. Why? Stairway
thought because he was studying his
men with those keen eyes of his, trying
to guess how far he could count on
them now.
Evidently not very far. For in n
moment came his soft laugh, and his
short command:
"Nunez, open the door. Let my
kinsman come just to the threshold.
IL any VI LIS luCn lit " tuttI-Ntll,
leave them to me. Enter, senorp'
The door slid open. De la Guerra
stepped just to the threshold, Stan
way close behind him.
Good evening, caballeros," said the
old Spaniard courteously "Now for
he has brought with. him may go free
and unharmed, provided that l am as
sured Pedro Celestino, and poor AL
fredo there will live. If any of them
is to die, then the man who has killed
him is not to go! Juarez may go.
pemptOn may GO
You are pleased to be gracious,
my high and mighty kinsman ="
sneered Tore impudently. "O-ho,
Senor Stairway You are there, too?
Castro" sharply to black-browed
ruffian at his side, 'you are the best
marksman | ever saw. and besides.
you are an admirable soldier who
knows how to take command. If
the Senor Stairway moves a hand or
takes step this way will you blow
his brains out for me?"
Castro's answer was to fling down
his revolver so that it ratified noisily
on the floor.
You have led us into a trap" he
retorted sullenly. Il accept the Senior
de la Guerra's word that / may go
free. l have harmed no one!"
A black frown gathered Torres
brows. A little smile crept into De
la Guerra's stern eyes.
"The first sign that you lose, Tor
re-" he said quietly. THE first sign
that win"
DO you know, my kinsman," re-
piled Tore insolently, Struggling his
shoulders at the mutiny of Castro,
that | may lose and still you not
win? How? Why, to be explicit TO
an old man, | can at least have the ex-
uuisite pleasure of ending my gay lit
tie existence gaily-and in shooting
you just between the eyes, senor!"
Stairway shuddered, seeing the
deadly earnest threat in Torres low
idded eyes But De la Guerra's gaze
did not waver and he answered.,
Even that. Tore, is denied to
you" He laughed softly. For,
above all things, you are gambler
and will take gamblers choice! You
can kill me- yes-perhaps And If
YOU did? My vaQueros would rush in
here and on time for me to see you
die! You know that. There would be
no chance in it for you. | offer you
chance-if you let these men go, If
YOU throw down your gun and agree TO
take the chance / offer you, And be-
ing a gambler above anything else in
the wOrd-why, you will accept the
one little chance offer you."
Tore hesitated. His hesitation
was plain in his attitude, the head
dropped little, the moody gathering
OF the brows. He looked swiftly to
the men about him, to Juarez first, to
them all. Juarez shook his head
slowly, his lips compressed, his eyes
On the floor.
"There is no longer anything for
me to fight for" he said slowly.
"Nothing but death l can find that
any day upon the other side of the
border, senor l think-that you are
alone!"
''Cowards! Cowards all !" jeered
Tore. Then he turned again to De
la Guerra "What chance do you of
fer me, senor?"
"We shall speak of that when the
others are gone, when you accept it,"
returned De La Guerra SternlY. 81