"Be not frightened, querida mia. Thou art safe with me--and the
accursed gringo will get a lesson he will not soon forget, for
daring--"
Teresita, looking back, discovered Jack behind her. He was pulling
Surry in, now, and he held his riata in one hand as though he were
ready to use it at a moment's notice, and blank astonishment was
on his face. That, perhaps, was because of Jose and Jose's hostile
attitude, standing crosswise of the trail like that, and scowling
while he waited, with the fingers of his right hand fumbling inside
his sash--for his dagger, perchance! Teresita smiled wickedly, in
appreciation of the joke on them both.
"Do not kill him, Jose," she begged caressingly. "Truly he did not
harm me! I but ran from him because--" She sent a smile straight to
the leaping heart of Jose, and fumbled with her tossing banner of
hair, and turned eyes of innocent surprise on the Senor Allen, who
needed some punishment--and was in fair way to get it.
"What is the pleasure of the senor?" Jose's voice was as smooth and as
keen as the dagger-blade under his sash. "His message must indeed
be urgent to warrant such haste! You would do well to ride back as
hastily as you came; for truly a blind man could see that the senorita
has not the smallest desire for your presence. As for me--" As for
him, he smiled a sneer and a threat together.
Jack looked to the girl for a rebuke of the man's insult; but
Teresita's head was drooped and tilted sidewise while she made shift
to braid her hair, and if she heard she surely did not seem to heed.
Pages:
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141