Evening star., 1935-02-28
CHAPTER XIV.
THE STRING.

THE STRING.
- ANToS got up and stumped from
the room.
Shall I sleep here?" asked
- Montana.
"If you dare" answered
Miguel Santos. "And I'll send out q
man to take care Of your horse"
When he got to the door he paused
and said: "Jose, I believe that you
are coming to steal the emeralds. I
believe you want them for the bishop
and not for your own pocket. be-
lieve that you took that gold all away
from gringo gambler. I believe that
you are very brave and clever man.
And yet still you are great liar!"
After that he went out, followed by
the bow which Montana had risen to
give to his host.
Now that he was perfectly alone,
the Kid drew out of his pocket a
small ball Of very thin, hard twine.
From the lower hinge of the open
door he tied 1t across to the bottom
OF a chair. After that, he sat down
at the table, with his back turned
squarely to the door. and took up
scrap of paper on which he wrote.
"RoSita, why are you angry? YSdr
good wishes I could never buy. but
time and trouble and little danger
should be paid for. ! suppose that
you will send some one now. big and
proved and strong, to see whether he
or I ought to be wearing this suit of
yellow leather with all the silver
spangles scattered over 1t.
Besides, If he wants an extra re-
ward after drawing the blood or the
brains out Of me, he CAP pick up the
$500 from the table and the floor. BY
his size and his strength, shall know
how much you value me. I sit here,
therefore, and pray that he may be
very big. No matter how much he
may frighten me, therefore-he will
also make me smile"
Something fainter than the sound
OF heartbeat stirred on the stairs
outside the house.
The pencil of the Kid ran on
swiftly: "But if he changes his mind
about taking me away, how long will
1t be before you come yourself through
the open door, Rosita?"
He had written to that point when
he heard the noise Of a caught breath,
like a grunt of effort, and he whirled
from the table with gun in his hand
In time to see huge fellow with a
convulsed face sprawling forward in
midair, a knife shining in his out
stretched hand.
The chair was groaning forward
along the floor. He must have leaped
from the doorway to get at the
stranger and drive the knife home
between the shoulder blades.
As struck, face down, f1atlings on
the floor, the barrel of Montana's gun
rang loudly on his skull. The big
man pulled up his legs and straight
ened them again slowly, with shud-
der. Then he lay still.
Montana turned him on his back.
He was no common man. Murder
must have paid him very well in times
past, and he had put on superior
smile in the twist of his long mus
taches, in the close fit and the brilliant
braid of his jacket and the crimson
silk OF the sash which he wore around
his waist.
There was only a dash too much Of
the brute in his face. Otherwise he
was a good-looking fellow. And he
was big enough to have stepped on a
horse as another man might step on
o pony.
He had a good, new revolver as
well as the knife. Montana took the
yroo Alec hn fnoly ot
the throat Of the mans shirt, because
1t was garnished with two big rubles.
BY this lime the Mexican had begun
to stir. In half second he aroused
from complete oblivion to cat-quick
Life, and leaped to his feet.
''Sit down, friend" said the Kid.
"Rosita will want to see what you've
done"
"Witchcraft!" said the stranger,
with one hand on his bumped head
and the other at his throat.
Not witchcraft. Only a piece Of
string" said Montana. There 1t is
from the door to the chair. whats
your name?"
"Benito Garza," said the big man.
"Untie the string and put it on the
table. But don't try to bolt through
the door. Because there's real
witchcraft inside this gun Of mine" !"
Benito Cara, with stupefied face,
obediently united the string and
brought it to the table. He stood
back against the wall, lifting his hand
to his face. A trickle of blood ran
down from q great bruise over one
eye. The eye itself began to swell,
redden, close.
'Sit down." said Montana.
Cara sank into a chair, keeping
his grip on the side Of it with one
hand as though to prevent second
magical fall.
How long have you known Rosita?"
asked the Kid.
May the devil" began Cara.
"Hush!" said the Kid, and Cara
was hushed.
"How long have you known Rosita?"
"a year-two years-how can
tell? It isn't the time that counts in
the knowing Of a girl"
That's true" answered Montana.
"But you can see she told you the
truth. There's the gold on the table.