"Come in! Come quick!" he said to his comrades.
His tone was so sharp and commanding that they obeyed him by impulse,
and he quickly closed the door behind the little party. They stood in a
small, dark alley that ran beside the house and they heard the sound of
music. Crouching against the wall they listened, and heard also the
sounds of laughter and feminine voices.
The Ring Tailed Panther grinned in the darkness.
"Some kind of a fandango is goin' on," he said. "It's just like the
Mexicans to dance and sing at such a time. I wouldn't be s'prised if Cos
himself was here, an' I mean to see."
He led the way down the little alley, which was roughly paved with
stone, and, as they advanced, the sounds of music and laughter
increased. Unquestionably Governor Veramendi was giving a ball, and Ned
did not doubt that the Panther's surmise about the presence of Cos would
prove correct.
They found a little gate opening from the alley into a large patio or
enclosed court. This gate, like the first, was not locked and the Ring
Tailed Panther pushed it open also. The patio was filled with palms,
flowering plants and a dense shrubbery.
The Ring Tailed Panther again led boldly on, and entered the patio,
hiding instantly among the palms and flowers.
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