" He thought
swiftly. "You mean this?"
Lopez did not even answer him, so deep and abiding was his disgust.
Instead, he said to his man, "Pedro, we go."
Gilbert watched his every motion. "You mean it?" he repeated.
Lopez laughed. "Everybody sink I am joker to-day. Pedro, take 'er," and
nodded toward the terrified Lucia.
Pedro started to obey.
"I'm damned if you do!" cried Gilbert. "All day you've been trying to make
me do things your way. I've had enough. This Mexican stuff may be all right
in your country, but it won't go here!"
He threw a protecting arm around Lucia, who was panting and pale. He pulled
his gun, and aimed it at Pedro's head. "Drop it!" he cried. Pedro obeyed
like lightning. The gun fell to the floor with a vibrating crash.
Then Gilbert covered Lopez. "If this is a trick--" he cried.
"Trick for what?" the bandit wanted to know. He nodded to Pedro. "Get ze
men. 'E will not shoot!"
Enraged beyond control, young Jones cried out: "For the last time! You mean
it? I know what you've tried to do, and I'm grateful; but there's one thing
that I must do!" Still the gun was leveled at the bandit's head.
"What's that?" nonchalantly.
"Protect her!" Gilbert said, drawing Lucia closer to his heart.
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