Part 28 (1/2)

Don Luis gave another shrug of his shoulders.

”You would be held _incommunicado_, Senor Reade, until the judges were ready to try you.”

”And that might be years off,” Tom muttered.

Don Luis beamed delightedly, while a thin smile curled on Dr. Tisco's lips.

”You are beginning, senor, to get some grasp of Mexican law,”

laughed Montez.

”In other words, Don Luis,” said Tom, dryly, ”it's a game wherein you can't possibly lose, and we can remain out of prison only as long as you are gracious enough to will it?”

”That might be rather a strong way of stating the case,” murmured the Mexican. ”However, after your unlawful act of last night, you undoubtedly are liable to a long confinement in one of our prisons. But believe me, Senor Reade, you may command me as far as my humble influence with our government goes!”

The situation was certainly one to make Tom think hard. He was certain that Don Luis had engineered the whole situation, even to urging Gato on to a part in this grin drama.

”Well, you've got us!” sighed Tom.

”You will find me your best friend, always,” protested Montez.

”You have us,” Tom continued, ”but you haven't our signatures to the report on your mine. That is going to be more difficult.”

”Time heals all breaches between gentlemen who should be friends,”

declared Don Luis, quite graciously.

After that it was a silent party that rode in the touring car.

Though the road back to the estate was worthy of no such name as road, the big car none the less ”ate up the miles.” It was not long before the young engineers caught sight of the big white house.

”Come, gentlemen,” begged Don Luis, alighting, and turning to the young engineers with a courtly grace that concealed a world of mockery. ”You will find your rooms ready, and my household ready to minister to your comfort.”

Tom Reade, as he stepped upon the porch, drew himself up as stiffly as any American soldier could have done.

”We've had to come this far with you, Don Luis,” admitted the young engineer, dropping all his former pretense of dry good humor, ”but you can't make us live under your roof unless you go so far as to have us seized, tied and carried in.”

”I have no intention of being anything but a gracious friend and host,” murmured Montez.

”Then, while we probably must stay here,” Tom resumed, ”we'll leave your place and go to live somewhere in the open near you.

We can accept neither your house nor your food.”

”Very good,” answered Montez, meekly, bowing again. ”I will only suggest, _caballeros_, that you do not attempt to go too far from my house. If you do, the soldiers will surely find you. Then they will not bring you back to me, and you will learn what _incommunicado_ means in our Mexican law. _Adios_, _caballeros_!”

”Am I still the servant of the American gentlemen, Don Luis?”

asked Nicolas, humbly.

”You may go with them. They will need you, little Nicolas,” answered Don Luis, and watched the three out of sight with smiling eyes.

Montez could afford to be cheerful. He knew that he had triumphed.