The Adair County news., 1919-07-16

nrenr0n the sen0rita once more and"
His teeth closed with little omi-
nous click. Tore, wiping the blood
from his lips, glared at him with
boundless, almost speeches., rage.
Coward" he sneered. "Since am
a prisoner, with a half dozen men
ready to spring upon me, you attack
me"
"Gaucho!'' called Stairway.
"Sf, senori'' Gaucho'S brown face
Frightening, his eyes looking happier
than they had looked for two days.
do not interfere. Do not let your
men take hand, no matter what hap
pens" Then he swung about upon
Tore. do you want to finish it
now?" he said CURLY.
But Tore was once more himself,
smiling, at ease, only a fierce hatred
in his eyes.
"Gracias, senor!' he returned. 81
shall merely make you pay for that
blow in my own way. And now ask
another ten thousand dollars as ran
som for the old man and the girl. Ten
thousand dollars for a blow, senior !!
Do you care to strike againT
Stairway shrugged.
you have overplayed your hand,
Tore" he said quietly. "This note
from the senorita makes me sure of
what 1 was beginning to suspect.
Gaucho, come with me-"
With no further word, leaving
Torres mystified face looking after
him, he went out, Gaucho at his heels.
"Gaucho," he said, speaking swiftly
from beyond the closed door, 81 want
you 10 come to the masters room.
Bring some men with you-six, ten
/ don't know how many we shall need.
Let two of them bring axes. Let all
carry side arms. Bring the picked
men, Gaucho; the hardest men on the
rancho. I think that there is going to
be fighting this time"
''The master?" cried Gaucho. "The
senorita? You know"
81 know nothing. But 1 think
that they have never for a second left
the house, Hurry, Gaucho!"
AnC GauchO hurried, his own face
as mystified as Torres. Stairway went
quickly to the bedroom.
Somewhere in these great thick
walls there is a passageway," he whis-
pered to himself. "It runs from this
room throughout the house and to the
east wing where Teresa's rooms are.
Somewhere, down below perhaps,
there is a room, a dungeon. l think
that it is just under the drawing room
think that that is where De la Guerra
is; that many of the things which
Tore said were meant to be heard by
the old man that they might taunt and
mock him; l think that Torres men
down there heard the crashing glass,
the words which went with it. / think
that we are going to find De la Guerra
and Teresa there"
He studied the walls.
There was nothing to hint at a secret
door.
He moved out the bed, found the
spot which Teresa's note told of, set
his thumb to il, and saw panel drop
down, shelfwise, showing a great iron
safe set in the wall. The safe was
locked, the key missing. But he knew
that he had found De la Guerras bank
He closed the panel swiftly as Gaucho
| and his men came to the door.
"Que es, senor?" Gaucho asked
quickly. And the black eyes of the
dark-faced men thronging behind him
| eager, eXpectant-told as well as
words that GauchO had whispered to
his men that the Americana had plan
that hope lay behind it.
Come in, Gaucho. Shut the door
How many menT
They entered as he spoke. He count
cd as the last man closed the door be
hind him.
''Ten, senior. Five more are com
ing"
d"-sternly-"yOuc can vouch fOl
them, for all of them? You can trust
every man TO the uttermost, GauchO|
ITO the uttermOst, senor," as stern
ly. "TO the death in the service OF
the master and"-his voice breaking
a little-"the senOrita."
"And the other fiveT'
''The same"
Good! This is my plan. Come
close, all of you"
He addressed them in Spanish
speaking swiftly, his voice lowered Sc
that the men must crane their necks
and lean forward to hear. He told
them of his hope that those they
sought had never been taken out OF
the hacienda.
"Now," he ended, ''there is no dou5t
a pasSageway running from here to the
senorita'S rooms. If we find this enc
of it and attack they may escape a
the other end So we must be ready
'Gaucho, send two men into the
senGrita's rooms. Let them be ready
armed and watchful Send two more
to the stairway. Let Tore and Juarei
be bound and watched over by one
man only, man whom you can trus
and who will blow their brains out be
fore he lets them escape"