The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1919-07-11
CHAPTER XII.
The Senior Again.

was open. Stairway Tipped through :;
Fidai, his deep chest painting from his
herculean labor, aX still gripped in m
enormous hand, came after him, his
fellows crowding after them.
A large room this time some thirty
feet square, furnished we'll; blankets,
scattered morsels of bread and meat,
showing that here Torres men had
been. a glance showed that the room
was empty of human occupants; n sec
ond glance found one man lying close
to the wall. limp and inert, red stain
upon his breast
Stairway ran to- him, stopped, stood
straight with little grunt of satisfac-
tion. 1t was not any one of the De la
Guerra household.
shot accidentally by one of his fell
lows" he muttered. "Or else De la
Guerra has got his hands on revol-
ver!"
A door at the far side of the room
stood open; n candle still burned
brightly upon n little stand. There
had been no time lost I'm leaving.
Il hear men running yonder" Vi
dars big finger pointed through the
open door. Come, compadres!"
They ran with him. crOwdlng to.
gether.
Again there was n hallway, this one
far down under the main floor and so
wide that three men might pass
abreast through 1t. There came sharp
turn, the footsteps were louder, men
were running toward them. And then,
as several men shot into view:
stop" cried Stairway, loudly, his
hand knocking Vidal's weapon up
ward. 1T Is Gaucho and his men :"
Where are they?" cried Gaucho, ex-
citedly. "The master? The senorita :?
You did not find them?"
You did not meet them?" In n sharp
cry from the rancher.
"We met no one" Gaucho answered
n look Of wonder in his eyes.
Then there is another door. They
have fooled us. Come! They can't
get out of the house"
They turned, rushing back toward
the room they had just quilted. And
at the instant Stairway plunged back
through the doorway he knew where
were these men Of Torres.
For he heard Torres voice shouting
loudly just above his bead where he
had already Judged the drawing room
must be; he knew that through some
other passageway the men they had
thought to trap had made their way
there, and he remembered that his own
orders had been for one man only to
watch over the bound Tore and
JuareZ
"NuneZ! Castrow Tore was call
Ing, his tones ringing out clear. the
tones OF command, calling for haste,
for swift obedience. "Thcre is one
man here only. XIII him! Ali"
There was the crack of revolver,
cry the sound of body falling.
g. ~" and again Torres voice
rang triumphant "Cut these damned
ropes, Castro! You others free JuarcZ.
Watch the doors. Guard The passage
way. BY the lord OF hell, Wen win
this game YETI
"They are too many" painted dis
senting voice. We"
Coward and fool! !" cried Torres
echOing voice. "Give me that gun.
Now, listen. / have found where the
De la Guerra bancO Is It's Just yon-
der In the old mans bedroom. It's
full OF gold, cGnpaneros. And then
watch the doors, amigos Then cross
the border with our pockets full !"
There came answering shouts. the
noise OF heavy furniture being dragged
across the floor and piled at the doors.
Torres voice giving commands.
But where is the mastcr?" n "a
qucro whispered anxiously. "They
have killed him"
And the senOrita?" cried Gaucho.
They ran about the room. seeking
a sign OF that other passageway which
had led these men directly into the
drawing room.
I'VE had better 60 back" command.
ed Stanway crisply, after short
search which showed nothing. "We
can break down the door into the room
where they are. GauchO Mentor. vi
dal, you men stay here so that they
cannot play hide-and-seek with us
again"
Pardon. senor. You are very kind.
| already owe you much. But now /
shall take care OF these bandits"
1t was the old Spanard, Senor Don
Antonio de la Guerra, his old-fash-
ioneG hack coat fauItlessly clean of a
nVNn IL ..f n