Part 20 (2/2)
As Tom and Harry both detested this beverage, they were forced to feign their enthusiasm.
”Now, I feel as though we ought to do some walking,” Tom declared, rising and stretching.
”Walking?” queried Nicolas. ”Where?”
”Over the hills to the nearest telegraph station. There is one within twenty miles, is there not?”
”There is, _caballero_,” Nicolas a.s.sented, gravely, ”but it will be impossible for us to reach it.”
”Impossible? Why?” Reade demanded.
”On my way back I kept my eyes open,” the Mexican explained.
”As a result I discovered who is in these hills about us.”
”Who, then?” Harry asked.
”Pedro Gato,” Nicolas affirmed solemnly.
”Who?” said Tom. ”Oh, Gato? Only he?”
”Only he and some of his worthless, criminal companions,” the servant went on, solemnly. ”Senor Reade, at no greater distance than this from Don Luis you may be safe from Gato. Yet, if you stroll but a few miles from here Pedro Gato will not so greatly fear the hidalgo. Then Gato will work his own will with you.”
”He will, oh?” Tom demanded grimly.
”Of a surety, senor!”
”If I should see Pedro Gato first, he would be likely to come in for another walloping,” Tom laughed, dryly.
”But you would not see him, senor. You would hear him only, and Gato's message would be a bullet.”
”Can Gato shoot any better than he fights?” smiled Reade.
Bang! An unseen rifle spoke. Judged by the sound the marksman was not more than three hundred yards away.
”Sz-z-z-zz!” the leaden missile sang through the air. It flattened against a rock in front of which the young chief engineer was standing.
”You are answered, _mi caballero_!” cried Nicolas, throwing himself flat on the earth. ”Drop to the earth, senor, before the second shot is fired!”
CHAPTER XII
NICOLAS DOES AN ERRAND
Tom did not follow the advice to flatten himself on the ground.
Instead, he stood straighter--even rose on his toes and stared in the direction whence he judged the shot to have come.
”Gato, you treacherous scoundrel!” Read roared, in Spanish. ”Do you call yourself a brave man, to fight an unarmed foe like this?”
All was silent amid the rocks in the distance.
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