Part 4 (2/2)
”Is he always as late as this?”
”Here, Senor Hazelton, we do not call eleven o'clock a late hour for appearing.”
Twenty minutes later Don Luis appeared, clad in white and indolently puffing at a Mexican cigarette.
”You will smoke, gentlemen?” inquired their host, courteously, after he had inquired concerning their rest.
”Thank you,” Tom responded, pleasantly. ”We have never used tobacco.”
Don Luis rang and a servant appeared.
”Have one of my cars ordered,” commanded Don Luis.
Ten minutes later a car rolled around to the entrance.
”You will come with us, Carlos?” inquired Don Luis.
”a.s.suredly, Don Luis,” replied the secretary, in the tone of a man who was saying that he would not for worlds miss an expected treat.
It was a seven-pa.s.senger car of late design. Into the tonneau stepped the two Mexicans and the two young engineers.
”To the mines,” ordered Don Luis.
”Do you wish speed, excellency?” inquired the chauffeur.
”No; we will go slowly. We may wish to talk.”
Gravely, in military fas.h.i.+on, the chauffeur saluted, then allowed the automobile to roll slowly away.
”It is not an attractive road, after we leave the _hacienda_,”
explained Don Luis Montez to Tom. ”It is a dusty road, and a somewhat hard one. The mining country is not a beautiful place in which to live.”
”It is at least more beautiful than the country in which our mine is located,” Tom replied.
”Are you gentlemen, then, mine owners as well as mine experts?”
inquired their host.
Tom told Don Luis briefly about their mine, the Ambition, in the Indian Smoke Range, Nevada.
”And is your mine a profitable one?” inquired the Mexican.
”It hasn't made us millionaires,” Tom rejoined, modestly, ”but it pays us more money, every month, than we really need.”
Don Luis glanced covertly at his secretary, with a look that conveyed:
”If these young Gringos have all the money they want, and more, then we may find it difficult to appeal to their avarice.”
Dr. Tisco's return glance as much as said:
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