And then a figure appeared miraculously in
the alcove, where one candle still burned, shedding a ghostly beam of light
from a shelf. "Good God!"
A shot rang out. But it was not Pell's revolver from which it sped. Morgan
Pell crumpled at the feet of Gilbert, and the bandit rushed in, the smoke
still coming from his gun.
"Santa Maria del Rio de Guadaloupe!" he cried. "'Ow many time I got for to
kill you to-day, any'ow? Now, damn to 'ell, mebbe you stay dead a while,
eh?" He looked down at the shriveled form. And as of old he called to his
henchman, "Pedro!"
And Pedro was there. "_Si!_" he said.
"Did I not tell you for kill zis man?" said Lopez, pointing in disgust to
Morgan Pell.
Swiftly in Spanish, and frightened almost out of his wits, poor Pedro
muttered something wholly unintelligible.
"Ees bum shooting! If she 'appen some more, zen I 'ave for get new Pedro.
Should be too bad. Especially for you. You onnerstand?"
Terrified at the thought, poor Pedro simply shivered. "_Si_," he whispered.
Lopez indicated Pell's body, and took out a cigarette nonchalantly. "Take
'im away. Ees no use for nobody no more." Pedro started to lift the heavy
form. "Save ze clothes and ze boots," he reminded his faithful man.
Pages:
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230