Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-11-12
CHAPTER X

30 over lne mouse seeking my
pay; they do not have the money in
the kitchen, sir. 1t is for this reason
they push me forward
$50 you were wandering about
the house, then?" said Lombardo.
what did you see?"
II am walking in a place, sir,
which Maria tells me is the passage
way that leads to the room where the
gentleman was murdered. There 1
see man enter a door, sir, which
must be the door to the room. For
have described it we'll to Maria,
SIR
who was the man, Pedro?"
THAT I do not know, sir"
WAS he wearing a sombrero?"
eyes, Sir"
"What kind?"
''It was large and black. I think
it was of felt. The head and Shout
ders were in shadows, sir, but in
the hand he carried a whip"
WAS he Mexican or American,
Pedro?"
"Sir, I do not know"
'iSiS NiiiSi VI q WHIP Ilu llC
have? You said he carried whip"
1T was about SO long, SIR" and
Pedro's thin brown hands measured
a space in air about eighteen inches
in length. at was, think, what
you call a quirt, SIR"
"a quirt; so?" Lombardo turned
to look meaningly at Alvarez, his
eyebrows arched, his lips parted
slightly. He turned back to the
pulque man. DO you see among
us, Pedro, such a man as you have
described? l warn you to be very
careful; these are gentlemen"
Pedro's sharp little eyes, to my
alarm, were suddenly upon me; he
inspected me carefully, then shifted
to Sam Chatfield who sat beside
me. Finally he quilted our hosts
short figure and moved to Huntoon
Rogers. He dismissed him with
glance, then came back to me, as
if some doubt fingered in his mind.
Il did not see the face, SIR" Pedro
reminded Lombardo.
Huntoon Rogers spoke for the first
time. 1T is impossible, Senior Lom-
bardo. Senior Madison was with me
when Maria came with the news of
the murder"
And all of the evening, senor?"
answered the question. NO."
l said. "But the remainder of the
time I was with either Senior Rum
BILE, or Senorita Chatfield."
Eyes, of course" said Lombardo.
"Pedro is wrong" He waved the
pulque man away abruptly, saying
sternly, ut is enough, Pedro; you
are mistaken about this man." He
pointed to me. DO not make any
more mistakes"
Eyes, sir" replied Pedro, spring.
ing up from the chair and vanish
ing in the shadows near the door.
"The quirt," Lombardo said, Il
do not understand Was it the pur-
pose to whip the victim ard then
kill him? The lashes on the face,
Miguel, were they made so recent
ly?' he turned to Doctor Cruz.
"They were made much earlier,
Otilio."
How did he get them? Did the
one who gave them to him return,
and this time kill him with knife?"
No one answered the questions.
is there anyone else among the
servants whom you wish to inter-
rogate?" inquired our host.
mo, sir, l am interested now in
other things"
Come this way, then" said Sam
Chatfield, leading us from the kitch-
en-.
An atmosphere of gloom seemed
to perVade the huge living room
when we entered. Margaret and
Dwight Nichols sat with Bcrta, talk
ing quietly. Elsa and Reed Barton
had Withdrawn to a shadowy cor
ner. George Rumble sat on the
bench of the grand piano smoking.
81 think" began Sam Chatfeld
hesitantly, that Senior Lombardo
has few questions to ask"
"Only very few, ladies and gen.
tlemen," Lombardo said, bowling
courteously.
1.-THE Scnorita," and his eyes
sought out Elsa in the background,
eff l may, please; wish to ask of
her question"
Elsa moved forward, still wearing
the colorful costume in which she
had danced with Reed Barton,
and stood before Lombardo.
"A thousand pardors, scnorita,"
began Lombardo, yielding to an OBJ
vious embarrassment that swept
over him. Il ask the question: Have
you worn the costume of the China
Poblana all EVENING""
eyes, of course" Elsa replied,
somewhat puzzled. II put it on at
dusk"
Then you cannot be the one,"
said I,omba rdo