"No, Ooncle Hennery," the bandit laughed, "she is yours for keeps. Zat is
all. You may go!" And he waved him out. "And you," to Hardy. "Pedro, show
zem into ze open space!"
"'Im too?" asked Pedro, indicating Morgan Pell who stood, as though made of
stone, in one corner.
"_Poco tiempo!_" the bandit said.
"_Debommultalo!_" his henchman replied.
"_Si_," Lopez smiled. And Pedro got the invalid and the lanky Hardy through
the door, as a woman might have swept two geese from her path.
Left alone with the bandit, Pell remarked:
"Look here, there must be some way to settle this thing." But he had grave
fears.
"To zat, I 'ave come at last," the bandit replied with an emphasis that
could not be mistaken.
"You have?" Pell's voice was weak.
"It shall cost me planty money. I could 'ave tooken you wiz me for
ransom--'elluva big ransom--a million dollar, mebbe. But I am not soddid!"
He laughed, and rubbed his hands together.
"You aren't going to hold me for ransom?" Pell questioned, relief in his
voice.
"No."
"What--what are you doing to do?"
The reply was as swift as an arrow. "Kill you."
Pell did not believe what he heard.
"Kill me?" he repeated, his head on one side, like a bird listening, and
pointing to his chest.
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