"I take." And he turned away.
"But if you'll--" the old man pleaded.
"Your proposition not interests me," Lopez said. Uncle Henry wheeled over
to the staircase. The bandit turned to Pell. "You offer me twenty sousand?
Zat is so?" he said.
"Right," Pell replied.
Lopez smiled sardonically, "Twenty sousand--for what is worth millions?"
"But I don't know that there's oil here," Pell argued.
Lopez laughed. "No?" Then, to Hardy, "You? You don't know, eizer, I
s'pose?"
"I thought there might be--that's all."
The bandit gave a hearty laugh. "Oh!" he exclaimed, almost consumed with
mirth. "I see I do business wiz business men--wise business men. _Bueno_!
Now we three business men togezzer, eh? Suppose I shall show you where ze
oil is. What zen?" He looked around the room, as if he thought everybody
should be interested; and indeed everyone was. Little gasps came from Hardy
and Pell, and Uncle Henry wiggled his chair up closer.
"Show us where she is?" Hardy asked, breathless.
"_Si_," Lopez answered.
"There _is_ oil here?" Pell asked excitedly.
Another cigarette went into the bandit's mouth. "Should I waste time
talking of what ain't?" he drily said.
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